USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > History of Macoupin County, Illinois : biographical and pictorial, Volume I > Part 49
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The pioneers of the Piasa did the best they could to provide facilities for giving their children the rudiments of an education. While the manner of con- ducting the schools and imparting instruction was antiquated, there was oppor- tunity for the children, who could be induced to study, to develop well informed minds and a sturdy intelligence. Emerson said he needed some one to make him do what he . could.
After the settlers were supposed to have had time to accumulate a little money, along came the ubiquitous Yankee clock peddler, whose disquisitions upon the horological qualities of his clocks completely fascinated the old pioneer, and with the air of one bestowing a great favor, the peddler asked forty dollars for a six dollar clock. Afterwards came the pump peddler and the lightning rod man, and with them all, the poor farmer was scarcely permitted to retain enough of his hard earnings to supply his family with corn bread and succotash.
Many people commiserate the old settler for the privations he had to endure. His manner of living had its compensations. He was free from the many an- noyances of social relations obtaining in densely populated communities. There was little real destitution, and a beggar was seldom seen. When one did come along, he was taken in and treated as a prince of the royal blood. Their diver- sions were of a character that appealed to their ideas of recreation as strongly as can be realized in the most esthetic form of amusement. Questions of gov- ernmental polity were discussed around many cabin firesides in the long winter evenings in a manner that would have been creditable in a coterie of statesmen.
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The greatest privation they were called upon to endure was the lack of suf- ficient medical attendance. Malaria was prevalent in the fall of the year. Many people had a spell of the ague or bilious fever every fall. This fever was often fatal. The doctors prepared their medicines in the nastiest manner they could, apparently believing that the chief virtue of the remedy was in its nause- ous quality. There was one doctor located in Upper Alton. There was no town there in 1830.
J. E. Andrews, whose home is two miles north of Brighton, has one of the best private collection of fossils, curios and relics of a former race who occupied the region of the Piasa ages ago. Many of these were dug out of small mounds found in a number of places. All we know of these ancient people is what is indicated by the contents of these mounds, and stone implements found scattered about in many places.
The legend of the Piasa bird appears to be a very fair illustration of the growth and development of a tale through many repetitions of its telling. This story has, no doubt, lost every semblance of the incident upon which the legend got a start on its growth to its ludicrous maturity.
When the first settlers came to the Piasa they found a rough outline drawing of the bird on the bluff, where the Alton quarries now are. This drawing was made with red keel, a soft stone, by Indians. The figure was scarred and dotted with bullets and arrows supposed to have been fired against it by In- dians passing in their canoes.
BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP.
Brighton township is bounded on the north by Shipman, on the east by Bunker Hill, on the south by Madison county and on the west by Jersey county. The land is drained by the tributaries of Wood river, while it is traversed by two railroads-the Chicago & Alton and the Rock Island division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad.
The first settlers in this township were Oliver Brown and his nephew, Will- iam Cowan. They built a cabin sixteen feet square in February, 1826. Their nearest neighbor was six miles distant.
In 1828 William Brewer came here from Virginia. Aaron Husong also ar- rived here the same year. In 1830 Michael Brown, a brother of Oliver, and Thomas Cowan, a brother of William Cowan, settled here and built a cabin. In 1831 James B. Pinkard came, while the following year, 1832, witnessed the ar- rival of Herman Griggs and others.
The first land entries were made as follows: James Brown, eighty acres on section 19, in 1830; Alfred Kennier, eighty acres on section 19, in 1830; and Joseph Anderson, on section 6, November 12, 1830.
The first marriage in the township was that of William Brewer and a Miss Delaplain.
The first Sunday school was organized about 1832 and was held in a log schoolhouse located about a mile from the present town of Brighton. The two denominations represented here at that time were the Baptist and Methodist. Some of the early settlers would ride to Alton, a distance of eleven miles, in
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wagons drawn by ox teams, to attend religious services. Until about 1835 preaching was held here in private homes. About that time the Baptists built a house of worship and the first minister was Rev. Amos Dodge.
The first school in the township was conducted in a smoke house belonging to Oliver Brown and was taught by Charlotte Sherman. The next summer the school was taught by a Mrs. Stratton and was held in the same log house in which the Sunday school had previously been organized.
The first schoolhouse was built in 1834. It was built on government land and was made of logs, the structure being 16x18 feet in size. L. P. Stratton was the first teacher in the new building. The school was conducted on the subscrip- tion order at two dollars per scholar per quarter.
BRIGHTON.
The town of Brighton is located mostly on the northwest quarter of section 19. Herman Griggs was the founder of the town, which was laid out in 1836 by Luke Knowlton. A short time previously a company had purchased two hun- dred and eighty acres of land of Mr. Brown on the same section. They pro- ceeded at once to survey and lay off a town, which was named Bristol. The two plats were only twenty or thirty rods apart. Nathan Scarritt was manager of the latter company. Quite a competing spirit arose between the parties in town proprietorship. In 1837 there was a financial panic, which severely visited the two towns of Bristol and Brighton. Mr. Scarritt had erected what became known as the Hill House, on Main street, occupying it with a stock of merchan- dise. The company becoming discouraged sold the entire tract of two hundred and eighty acres to Daniel Nelson for $1,000, and the latter sold one half of it to J. W. Gilson. For a time improvements were very slow and for several months the only building that was erected was the Methodist church in 1837.
Dr. McKee, the first physician, came here in 1836. In 1838 Dr. L. S. Pen- nington arrived and also practiced here.
The first postoffice was established at Brighton in 1838, with Daniel Blodgett as the first postmaster. His commission for the first year was six dollars. Prior to this time the residents of this locality had received their mail from the Alton office.
On July 4, 1852, the Chicago & Alton ran its first train through Brighton, and from that time on the town took on new life. Herman Griggs was appointed the first agent at this station. He erected a brick store building near the rail- road and admitted to partnership in business William Loveland and Lucius Gris- wold. In 1850 he built a warehouse of brick, which adjoined his store building, and in 1853 he converted it into a steam custom mill.
In the fall of 1853 R. H. Peter and John Moore opened a dry goods and grocery store on Main street, and in 1857 Mr. Peter and Rev. Horatio Nelson built a store building on Main street.
In 1857 J. Burton erected a store building just west of the mill.
In 1857 the first drug store in the town was opened by W. C. Merrill and T. S. Bean.
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On the 14th of September, 1836, the first marriage occurred here, the contract- ing parties being Herman Griggs and Mary Starkweather.
Since 1832 there has been a schoolhouse in the town but the first was con- ducted on the subscription plan. In September, 1854, the settlers formed a com- pany for the purpose of erecting a school building, the stock being fixed at ten dollars per share. Later the stockholders sold their interest to the district.
In 1890 all that part of Brighton lying in Brighton township and the county contained 697 inhabitants. By 1900 the number had dwindled down to 606 and the census of 1910 shows the decline had continued and that the population now is but 554. At any rate the town is a good trading center for a splendid agricul- tural community. It has a good school, mentioned in the article devoted to schools, and its churches are well supported.
BANKS. 1
Brighton has two strong financial institutions, Blodgett Brothers & Com- pany, conducting a private bank, established the institution in 1868. It has a declared capital of $20,100. D. Newton Blodgett is president and Edwin · Amass, cashier.
The First National Bank was established in 1890. Its capital stock is $25,000, deposits, $85,000. President, G. W. Hilliard; vice president, G. A. Brown; cashier, F. F. Chamberlain.
MILES STATION.
Miles Station is located in Brighton township, a portion of the hamlet lying on section 9, while a smaller part is on section 8. The place is located in the midst of a rich agricultural district and is on the line of the Chicago & Alton railroad. The proprietor of Miles Station was Colonel J. R. Miles, for whom it was named, and it was platted and surveyed by S. F. Spaulding in the year 1869.
MT. OLIVE TOWNSIIIP.
In 1884 Staunton township was cut in two, from east to west, and the north half was designated as Mt. Olive township. Hence, the boundaries of the newly- made township are as follows: Staunton on the south, Montgomery county on the east, Cahokia township on the north and Dorchester township on the west.
The history of this township is practically that of the parent township, Staunton, as the territory comprising both of them had long been settled before Mt. Olive was made a unit in the completed organization of the county. Hence, the reader is referred to the article on Staunton township for any information sought in regard to the early settlement of this section of the community.
TOWN OF MT. OLIVE.
The founding of the town of Mt. Olive may be said to have had its initia- tion when John C. Niemann opened a small store in that locality in 1868. Then came transportation facilities in the Litchfield & Madison railroad, now operated
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by the. Wabash system. The little frame general store of John C. Niemann grew to a fair-sized department store and other places of business clustered on all sides of it, until today, Mt. Olive is one of the important trading points of Macoupin county. About 1905, the Hillsboro branch of the Illinois Traction System, an interurban electric railway, was built through the town, adding greatly to the needs of the citizens and their convenience in reaching the county seat ; this road has also, no doubt, attracted home-seekers to the place.
MINES.
A large proportion of Mt. Olive's citizens is made up of miners and their families. There are two large mines, which afford employment to many men and add not a little to the prosperity of the town.
WATER WORKS AND ELECTRIC LIGIITS.
Not to be outdone by her neighbors Mt. Olive, in 1893, built a system of electric lighting, for public and private purposes, the plant costing $25,000. This municipal lighting plant has a substantial brick building and modern machinery. The city has a string of fifty-eight arc lamps and with the patronage obtained from private consumers the system is now reaching a stage that gives every promise of being self-sustaining.
The city also owns its waterworks, the reservoir of which was built about 1895. The works, proper, was finished in 1905, at a cost of $60,000. A sub- stantial brick power house and two strong pumps, which are capable of forcing 2,000,000 gallons of water every twenty-four hours through about twelve miles of mains, are features of the improvements.
OTHER PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
The city hall of Mt. Olive was built all of thirty years ago and is now prov- ing its inadequacy to the needs of the growing municipality. Plans are now being urged for a new one, which will probably be consummated in 1912.
In 1890 there were only 1,986 inhabitants in Mt. Olive. The census of 1910 gives it 3,501. The town is growing with a steady and substantial growth and this gives her taxpayers every encouragement to spend their means quite liberally for improvements. While its streets are not paved, they soon will be. However, what is lacking in this regard is, in a way, compensated for in ten miles of splen- didly built cement sidewalks.
BANKS.
The First National Bank of Mt. Olive was established in 1904, by C. Clavin, O. F. Allen, A. E. Loesher, John F. Prange, F. W. Hartke, Henry Kruse, and others. The first officials were : President, O. F. Allen ; vice presidents, John F.
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Prange and A. E. Loesher ; cashier, C. Clavin. "The capital stock is $25,000; sur- plus and undivided profits, $6,000; deposits, $282,453.
C. J. KEISER & COMPANY, BANKERS.
This is one of the oldest and strongest private banking concerns in Macoupin county. It was founded by C. J. Keiser in 1882 and since that time has been doing business in the Keiser block, a substantial brick building, erected by Mr. Keiser in 1882. Associated with the head of the firm are two sons, E. A. W. Keiser and A. H. Keiser.
OPERA HOUSE.
Mt. Olive has an opera house building that would be a credit to any place of greater importance. It was built in 1907 by E. A. Uchtman, is a two-story brick and cost $20,000. With a spacious gallery, this place of amusement has a seating capacity of 700.
Among the societies now established here may be noted the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen, Court of Honor, Knights and Ladies of Security.
EXECUTIVES OF THE TOWN.
George Marburger, 1883-4; Ford Behrens, 1884-5-6; Frank Friede, 1886-7- 8-9; John Hessner, 1889-90-1; C. J. Keiser, 1891-2; Frank Friede, 1892-3; J. B. Burkhardt, 1893-4-5-6-7; H. Fuchs, 1897-8-9; A. J. Keiser, 1899-1900-1-2; Theodore H. Koch, 1902-3-4-5-6-7; Bruno Froehlich, 1907-8-9; Louis Simmering, eleven months of 1909; Edward H. Meyer, 1909-10-II.
CARLINVILLE TOWNSHIP.
This township is bounded on the south by South Otter, on the west by Shaw's Point, on the north by Brushy Mound and on the east by Bird township, and comprises the congressional town of 10 north, range 7 west. The southwest cor- ner lies on the exact center of the county. It is well drained by Macoupin creek, which runs through the southeast corner of the township. Other streams which flow through the township are the Hurricane, which flows through the township in a general direction from north to south and the small tributary of the Macou- pin which drains the northeastern part of the township and flows into the Macou- pin on the eastern verge of the township. There is some timber to be found and the soil is very fertile. The Chicago & Alton passes through the township from northeast to southwest.
It is probable that the first settlers in the township were the Lairs, Samuel and Charles, who came in the years 1821 or 1822, and settled within the limits of the township. Joseph Borough settled on the east side of the township at an early day.
Ezekiel Good was the first settler in Carlinville. He came with his wife in an ox wagon. He built a small cabin soon after his arrival here, while John Gray put up the second house in the place.
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The original proprietors of the town were Ezekiel Good and Seth Hodges, who donated thirty acres of land, in order to secure the location of the county seat.
The first store was owned by Major Winchester and William E. Starr, of Edwardsville. William Barrett conducted the store, which was stocked with dry goods, groceries and whisky.
The first minister was Stith M. Otwell, who preached his first sermon in the log tavern in 1831, his audience consisting of four women and a similar number of children.
The first marriage was that of David McDaniel and Miss Rebecca Wallace, the marriage being celebrated in April, 1832.
There is some doubt as to who was the first teacher. Some think that Abner B. Beauchamp, of Kentucky, was the first, while others think that a Mr. Cooley was the first and that the second was a man by the name of Williams. Mrs. Cooley and Almira Peck were also early teachers.
The first child born in the township was Thomas, son of Ezekicl and Alice Good, in October, 1830. The first death was that of the first wife of William Brown, in 1829.
The First Baptist preacher was Rev. Elihu Palmer, a brother of the late Governor Palmer.
The first Sunday school was organized by Jarrett. Dugger.
The first mill was known as the Old Red Mill, which was later replaced by the Weer brothers mill, both now out of existence.
Other early settlers in the township were: Bennett Noland and family; the Tennis family, consisting of mother and her children, Alice, William, Jolın, Sam- ucl and Andrew Tennis, who came in 1824; Thomas Loveless and family ; Larkin Richardson and family, who came in 1825. He died of cholera in 1851. How- ard Finley and family settled on a piece of land about two miles east of the town in the year 1828. Abraham S. Walker, a Tennesseean and a blacksmith by trade, came in 1830. Robert and Thomas Moore came with their families in 1832, settling on section 24. In the fall of 1829 John S. Greathouse, an attorney, came to Carlinville from Edwardsville and bought the improvements of Joseph Bor- ough, who was one of the first to build a cabin here. In 1829 also came P. H. Winchester and family. M. M. Anderson was also among the first settlers, and in 1834 Colonel James Anderson settled here. In 1833 Dr. John Logan settled herc and Joseph Howell and James A. McClure settled here in 1835.
Ezekiel Good entered the first land in the township-a tract of one hundred. and sixty acres on section 28, on the IIth of March, 1828. John Harris entered eighty acres on section 35, March 26, 1829, while Seth Hodges also entered eighty acres on section 28, on the 23d of April, 1829.
There is still living on the old farm Thomas Guthrie Moore, who was born on the place in 1838. He has always lived there and, with him are two maiden sisters, Nancy and Martha.
The farm alluded to consists of one hundred and sixty acres, which was entered by Thomas G. Moore, grandfather of the present owner, in 1831, having bought the claim of a squatter, who had built a log cabin. The grandfather was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and died in 1843.
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M. E. CHURCH
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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The farm selected by the Moores is located on the stream known as Moore's branch and the Moore cemetery, where many of the pioneers of Carlinville township lie buried, is located near where the branch empties into Macoupin creek. The spot was selected by Thomas' mother and she was the second one to be buried there, the first burial being that of the little child of one McGuire, in 1832. "Grandma" Moore's interment took place in 1834. Robert G. Moore, father of the present Guthrie Moore, entered land in Carlinville township in 1832. He died of cholera in 1851, as did Samuel Lewis and several others, all of whom were buried in the Moore graveyard. Burials were made in this grave- yard by any one who chose, without let or hindrance. In 1887, desiring that the grounds should be properly cared for, Thomas (Guthrie) Moore conveyed by deed to the county the tract of land forming the burial spot and a board of trus- tees, appointed by the county, has supervision and full charge of it.
Darius Phelps, a cousin of C. A. Walker's mother, was an early settler here and died in 1855. He lies buried in the Moore graveyard. Darius was skilful with the rifle and it is said, brought home with him one day from one of his hunting trips, rabbits, prairie chicken, doves and squirrel. Mr. Walker's mother prepared the whole bag at once and the meal discussed was one of the most novel pot pies mentioned in history.
AN OLD LEGAL DOCUMENT.
As has been heretofore mentioned, Thomas Moore, the elder, served in the Revolutionary war and for a number of years was a pensioner. Upon coming to Macoupin county from Kentucky, it seems to have been necessary to identify himself before a notary public as such pensioner in order to receive his stipend from the government. The document here appended is now in possession of Professor Robert C. Moore, his grandson, and is prized very highly :
"State of Illinois, Macoupin County-SS.
"Be it known that before me, John Wilson, a justice of the peace, in and for the county aforesaid, personally appeared Thomas Moore and made oath in due form of law that he is the identical person named in an original certificate in his possession, of which I certify the following is a true copy :
WAR DEPARTMENT.
"Revolutionary Claim.
"I certify that in conformity with the law of the United States, of the 7th June, 1832. Thomas Moore of the state of Illinois, who was a private during the Revolutionary war, is entitled to receive Twenty dollars per annum, during his natural life, commencing on the 4th of March, 1831, and payable semi-annually, on the 4th of March and 4th of September in every year.
"Given at the war office of the United States, this 9th day of January, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.
LEWIS CASS,
Secretary of War.
Vol. I-27
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"That he now resides in Macoupin county, and has resided there for the space of three years past, and that previous thereto he resided in Kentucky. THOMAS MOORE.
"Sworn to and subscribed this 29th day of September, 1835. JOHN WILSON, J. P."
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CARLINVILLE.
SETH HODGES. AND EZEKIEL GOOD DONATE LAND FOR THE COUNTY SEAT-NAMED IN HONOR OF THOMAS CARLIN MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE-FIRST LOT SOLD- HAS NOW A POPULATION OF THREE THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY- MAYORS AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.
On the first day of June, 1829, title was vested in the county of Macoupin to thirty acres of land, donated by Seth Hodges and Ezekiel Good, the site of a county seat, which was given the name of Carlinville, in honor of Thomas Carlin, who secured the passage of the act creating Macoupin county and later became governor of Illinois. This indenture was the first deed executed in the county.
The act creating Macoupin county also made provision for securing a site for a county seat and designated the procedure to be followed by the commissioners who were named in Section 2 of the act, which reads as follows:
"For the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of justice of said county, the following persons are appointed commissioners, to wit: Seth Hodges, Joseph Borough, John Harris, Shadrach Reddick and Ephraim Powers, who, or a ma- jority of them, being first sworn before some justice of the peace of this state, faithfully to take into consideration the convenience of the people with an eye to the future population and eligibility of the place, shall meet at the house of Joseph Borough, in said county of Macoupin, on the third day of March next, or within six days thereafter, and proceed to examine and determine on a place for the permanent seat of Justice of said county: Provided the commissioners aforesaid shall locate the seat of Justice on public land, they shall designate the same, and certify to the county commissioners of said county as soon as they shall be qualified to office, the half quarter or quarter section of land so selected for said county seat ; and it shall be the duty of said county commissioners as soon thereafter as they may be enabled, to enter the same in the land office of the district, in which the land may be situated, and they shall immediately there- after lay off the same or any part thereof, into town lots, and sell the same on such terms and conditions as may be most advantageous to the interests of said county ; and the proceeds of the sale shall be appropriated to the erection of a sufficient court house and jail. But if the said commissioners, appointed to locate said seat of Justice, should locate the same on the lands of any person, or persons, and such proprietor, or proprietors, should refuse or neglect to give to the county, for the purpose of erecting public buildings for the use of said county, a quantity of land not less than twenty acres, situated and lying in a square form, to be se-
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lected by said commissioners, then, and in that case, the said commissioners shall proceed to select some other situation, as convenient as may be to the place first selected ; Provided, the like quantity, and for the purpose above mentioned. And the said commissioners, after having made such location, shall designate the same, and certify as aforesaid, to the next county commissioners' court, to be held in and for said county ; and it shall be the duty of said county commissioners to demand and receive a title in fee simple, for the use of said county, for the donation of land as above stated, and to lay out the same into town lots, and sell the same, and appropriate the proceeds thereof as before mentioned; which place, when so fixed upon, shall be the permanent seat of Justice of said county ; all of which proceedings shall be entered of record on the books of the county court."
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