USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > History of Macoupin County, Illinois : biographical and pictorial, Volume I > Part 5
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Educational interests were greatly advanced during Governor Edwards' ad- ministration, by the establishing of several higher institutions of learning. In 1827 John M. Peck, a Baptist minister, built a two-story frame house about half way between Lebanon and O'Fallon, which he named "The Rock Spring Theological Seminary and High School," and that was the beginning of Shurt- leff College, now located at Upper Alton. McKendree College was established three miles east of the Rock Spring institution, in the village of Lebanon where it is still flourishing. Illinois College at Jacksonville is one of the pioneers of that period and has been one of the great institutions of learning of the state.
The population of the state in 1830 was 157,445, nearly three times what it was before.
December 9, 1830, John Reynolds was inaugurated governor. He favored the construction of the Illinois and Michigan canal and the finishing of the peni- tentiary at Alton.
It was during his administration that the county of Cook was formed, January 15, 1831, and that was the beginning of Will county, as it was taken from that county in 1836.
Joseph Duncan was inaugurated governor December 3, 1834. In his mes- sage to the legislature he strongly urged the construction of the canal to connect Lake Michigan with the Illinois river, as well as a general system of internal improvements. The charter of the old state bank at Shawneetown was revived and a new one granted. In 1837 the capital stock of the bank was $2,000,000, the whole to be subscribed for the state by the fund commissioners, an execu- tive body of the internal improvement system. The bank had six branches but it was short lived. Like its predecessor it succumbed to the inevitable in 1842 and that was the last of the state banks.
DEATH OF LOVEJOY.
In 1837 occurred the tragedy at Alton, resulting in the death of "the first martyr to liberty," Elijah P. Lovejoy. He was born in Albion, Kennebec county, Maine, November 9, 1802. At the age of twenty-one he entered Water- ville College, and after graduating removed to St. Louis. 'A year or two later he became editor of the St. Louis Times and advocated the election of Henry Clay for the presidency. In 1833 he issued the first number of the St. Louis Observer, a religious newspaper. In his new labors as editor, he incurred the ill will of the Catholic church by some articles he wrote, opposing the laying of the corner stone of a Catholic church on Sunday. From that expression of opinion regarding what he termed the desecration of the Sabbath with "proces- sions, firing of guns and unseemly displays,". came the persecutions that after- ward followed the man and finally terminated in his death. His opponents char- acterized him as an abolitionist and charged that all his outspoken expressions regarding the Catholics came from his bitter opposition to slavery. So bitter was the feeling against him in St. Louis that he was compelled to remove his paper and printing establishment to Alton, and it arrived there July 21, 1836. It was on Sunday when the press reached its destination, and Mr. Lovejoy pro- posed to leave it on the wharf until Monday. That night a mob went to the
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wharf, broke the press into pieces and threw it into the river. A new press was obtained and for nearly a year he published his paper with varying fortunes, but a mob entered his office, destroyed the press and threw it, with the type, into the river. He had frequently been warned as to what course he should pursue in the publication of his paper but being a free born citizen, contended "free speech" was his natural free born right and continued in his course without the least swerving from the course he had adopted. A new press was ordered but when it arrived it was broken up by the mob and consigned to the river with its pred- ecessors. A fourth press was then ordered and the mob openly defied. The press arrived and was temporarily stored in a stone warehouse and sixty of the citizens of the town volunteered to defend it. November 7, 1837, a demand was made for the press and the demand denied. One of the mob attempted to climb a ladder with a torch to set the roof of the warehouse on fire but was shot by one of the defenders. Soon after, Lovejoy went out of the building to see that no more such attempts were made and was shot by the mob, five bullets entering his body. The guard having lost their leader then surrendered the press and it soon followed its three predecessors into the bed of the Mississippi river. Thus ended the first tragical fight against the institution of slavery, and the first vic- tim to fall was Elijah P. Lovejoy, but he was not the last to fall in the cause, by many thousands.
An act was passed at the same session for a general system of internal im- provements. This was such an extravagant measure that Governor Duncan re- fused to give it his approval but the legislature passed it over his head and it be- came a law. $10,250,000 was appropriated, all of which ultimately proved a total loss to the state, as not one of the works was ever completed. Among the works projected were nine railroads, while nearly every river of any size in the state was included in the bill to be improved.
Thomas Carlin was inaugurated governor of Illinois in 1838. His policy was to foster internal improvements in every way possible. Bonds to the amount of $12,000,000 had been issued by the state for the improvements voted at the last legislature but as no interest was paid on them, they were soon of little value and the work ordered had been commenced but it was found im- possible to carry it on and so it was abandoned. Edward Smith, a member of the house from Wabash, was chairman of the committee on internal improve- ments and he portrayed in glowing colors the great benefits that would accrue to the state to carry forward the grand system of improvements as begun and contemplated, and such was the hold his report had upon the members that they were ready to vote for any amount required to carry forward every work asked for in the state. The Illinois and Michigan canal was not included in the mad schemes and the work on that proceeded without delay. Mr. Smith died before the next meeting of the legislature and with him died all the grand improve -- ments contemplated by him.
THE MORMONS.
In the year 1839 a sect settled in Hancock county on the east bank of the Mississippi river and started a town, which they named Nauvoo. They called themselves Mormons, or Latter Day Saints. Their leader, Joseph Smith, claimed
MACOUPIN COUNTY OLD SETTLERS' PICNIC, OCTOBER 1, 1874
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
to have found some golden tablets or plates, with inscriptions upon them; that he was directed by an angel he called Maroni where to find the plates and how to translate the inscriptions. The Mormons first settled in Independence, Iowa, but their conduct there was such that they were driven out by the authorities, when they removed to and settled in Hancock county. Here they soon got into trouble with the Gentiles, as they called all outside of their sect, or church, which soon after culminated in what is known in history as the "Mormon war," and the death of Joseph Smith and his brother Hiram.
In 1840 the legislature granted a charter to Nauvoo, with full powers to or- ganize its militia into a Nauvoo legion, establish courts of justice and elect all necessary officers. Under the charter, Joseph Smith was elected mayor in 1842.
December 8, 1842, Thomas Ford was duly inaugurated governor and his first duties were to look after the Mormons. They had become exceedingly arrogant and offensive to the rest of the people in the county, so much so as to have the citizens call upon the governor to suppress them or drive them from the state. The city council in Nauvoo passed an ordinance that if any person should try to arrest any of its citizens on foreign writs, the offender should be imprisoned for life and should not be pardoned by the governor unless the mayor of Nauvoo con- sented. The act practically amounted to the setting up of a separate govern- ment within the limits of the state. Other acts equally as notorious and illegal were enacted by the council and mayor and were attempted to be enforced.
The governor visited the place, and finding that the affairs of the city were even worse than he had been informed of, he ordered arrests to be made and Joseph Smith and his brother Hiram were arrested and lodged in jail in Carthage, the county seat. After Governor Ford had left, a mob was organized and broke into the jail. Hiram Smith was killed at the first fire and soon after, Joseph, the so-called prophet. Brigham Young was elected as successor to Joseph Smith, and hostilities between the Mormons and Gentiles continued as before. But the governor and the leader of the Mormons entered into an agreement in the win- ter of 1845, by which they made arrangements to leave and about the middle of May following, sixteen thousand Mormons left Nauvoo for the west and finally settled in the valley of the great Salt Lake, where they have since remained.
THE CONSTITUTION OF 1848.
December 9, 1846, Augustus C. French was elected governor. A proposition had been submitted to the people for a call of a constitutional convention and the vote was largely in favor of such a call. A special. election of delegates was called for the third Monday in April, 1847, and these were to meet at Springfield on the first Monday of June following. The delegates met in convention at the time set by the call and on the 31st of August of that year, finished its labors. The constitution as made by the convention, was submitted to the people at an election held March 6, 1848, and reinaugurated, January 8, 1849. The popula- tion of the state in 1850 was 851,470.
THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD.
In 1851 the Illinois Central Railroad was incorporated. Congress had the year previous granted lands for the construction of a railroad from Chicago to
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
Mobile, and the act of the legislature authorized the construction of a road from the southern terminus of the canal at La Salle to a point at the city of Cairo, with branches. The act of congress gave alternate sections of land for six miles in width, upon each side of the road, to aid in the building of it. A company was formed that agreed to build the road within the time limited and agreed to give seven per cent of its gross earnings to the state for the benefit of common schools. The seven hundred miles of road was completed before the close of the year 1856 and thus two and a half million acres of wild land became homes of thousands of actual settlers.
Joel A. Matteson was inaugurated governor in January, 1853. It was during his administration that the great political changes took place, not only in the state but in the country at large. The old whig party ceased to exist at the defeat of General Scott in 1852, and in 1856 the great republican party sprang into exist- ence. It was defeated that year but in 1860 it rallied in its strength and won the battle with a good majority.
The history of the state under the administration of Governor- Matteson was that of unexampled prosperity. The financial depressions that had for years hung over it and greatly hindered its development and progress were swept away and the state came to the front as one of the most favored and prosperous of all the great states of the Union.
William H. Bissell succeeded to the office of governor, January 12, 1857. He was a veteran of the Mexican war and a man of integrity and ability. It was during his administration that a new penitentiary was ordered to be built in the northern part of the state. Three commissioners were appointed, one of them being the late Hon. Nelson D. Elwood, of Joliet. These were to select the place for the new prison and take charge of its erection. Joliet was the place selected. Governor Bissell died at Springfield, March 18, 1860, and John Wood, the lieutenant governor, filled out the unexpired term. The population of the state in 1860 was 1,711,951.
DOUGLAS AND LINCOLN.
In 1854 Stephen A. Douglas, then a United States senator from Illinois, ad- vocated and brought about the repeal of the, Missouri compromise. This was an act passed by congress in 1820, and was designed to reconcile the pro-slavery and the anti-slavery parties of that day. By this act it was determined that Missouri should be admitted into the Union as a slaveholding state but that slavery should never be established in any state, to be formed in the future, lying north of lati- tude thirty degrees and thirty minutes. That was the act repealed in 1854, and that left the question open, whether Kansas, which is north of that degree of latitude, should be admitted as a free or slave state.
The repeal of that act brought Mr. Lincoln into prominence in the political history of the state. He was an able debater, an ardent republican, who was among the first in the organization of the party in its first campaign in 1856. Mr. Douglas' term as senator in congress expired in 1858 and Mr. Lincoln entered the lists as the opponent of Mr. Douglas in his candidacy for reelection. Each had received the nomination of his party and therefore they stood on equal
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
grounds in their contest for the office. Mr. Lincoln challenged Mr. Douglas for a joint debate of the questions involved. Mr. Douglas accepted, and seven places were selected, one in each congressional district in the state, except in two dis- tricts where speeches had already been made. In that debate, slavery was the main question to be debated, Douglas contending that every new state, whether north or south of the old compromise line that applied for admission to the Union, should determine for itself whether it should be a slave or a free state, while Mr. Lincoln insisted that slavery should be put in a "course of ultimate distinction." Mr. Douglas won the prize and was the nominee of his party in the campaign of 1860 for the presidency, while Mr. Lincoln was the nominee for the republicans. Mr. Douglas lost through the division of his party, the southern wing having put John C. Breckinridge in nomination against him. Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated president, March 4, 1861. The south seceded and then came four years' Civil war, the emancipation of the slaves, and after a most desperate struggle in which many thousands of lives were sacrificed, the south surrendered and the Union was again restored.
Richard Yates became governor in 1861. He was the war governor, as dur- ing his administration the Civil war was fought and won. He was a vigilant, active and patriotic governor, who did not shrink from performing his whole duty in aiding the general government in its life and death struggle in maintain- ing the Union from secession. 259,092 soldiers were raised in the state for mili- tary service in suppressing the rebellion.
Richard J. Oglesby became governor, January 16, 1865. The war had closed but there were grave matters yet to be settled and Illinois must perform its full share. In January, 1867, the fourteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States, conferring citizenship upon persons without regard to color, was ratified by Illinois. Another measure was passed by the same legislature, which was of great interest to the agricultural community, the establishing of an agri- cultural or industrial college at Urbana, in Iroquois county. Congress had made donations to the several states 'for the purpose, of which Illinois received nearly half a million acres. A new state house was provided for, to be built at Spring- field, the cost of which was not to exceed $3,000,000.
January. I, 1869, John M. Palmer was inaugurated governor. The people of the state had voted to call a constitutional convention to revise the constitution of the state and the delegates met in convention at Springfield, December 13th of that year. The most important change was that making it a fundamental law prohibiting special legislation, that having been the principal business of the legislatures of the state previous to that time. The constitution was ratified by the people, July 2, 1870. The population of the state that year was 2,539,891.
THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE.
It was late on Sunday evening, October 8, 1871, that a fire was discovered burning in a small stable west of the south branch of the river and about a mile southwest of the business portion of the city. A strong wind was blowing from that direction and soon the fire was communicated to the surrounding buildings and spread rapidly toward the very heart of the city. The fire continued to ad-
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
vance and spread until nearly all of the business portion of the city was destroyed and 100,000 people rendered homeless. The loss by fire was $200,000,000, while a large number of citizens lost their lives in the holocaust. The world at large came at once to the aid of the stricken city in its terrible distress. It was a dire calamity to the young and growing city but its enterprising citizens rallied to the work of restoring it and soon it arose from its ashes, a better and more sub- stantial city than before.
Mr. Oglesby was reelected for a second term and January 13, 1873, was duly inaugurated as governor. The session of the legislature that met that month elected him United States senator, and John L. Beveridge, the lieutenant gover- nor, then became governor. But little of note was done during his admin- istration. The state continued to grow in population, its agricultural and com- mercial resources were developed and expanded and the people of the state were . contented and prosperous.
Shelby M. Cullom was duly elected governor at the November election in 1876, and inaugurated January 8, 1877. It was at that session of the legislature that General John A. Logan became involved in a contest for reelection as United States senator. His opponent was Judge David Davis. Logan was the regular republican candidate, while Davis was a democrat. There were enough inde- pendents in the legislature to hold the balance of power and it was not until the fortieth ballot that the long contest was decided in favor of Judge Davis and he became General Logan's successor.
It was during Governor Cullom's term of office that the great railroad strike occurred. It began in Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, where the center of the various railroad employes was located, with branches all over the country. Illinois, as a great railroad state and mining center, felt the disturbances which reached every part of the state and especially Chicago, where many of the railroads terminated. Troops were called out, the rioting quelled and in a few days order was restored and business began to enter its usual channels. The population of the state in 1880 was 3,077,871.
Mr. Cullom was reelected in 1880 and duly installed into office, January 10, 1881. In his message to the legislature he favored the cession of the canal to the general government but the legislature failed to act on his recommendation at the regular session. A special session for that purpose was called by the gov- ernor and among other things, of reapportioning the state into congressional and senatorial districts, and at that session an act was passed ceding it to the general government. The government, however, never accepted the gift nor took any steps whatever toward controlling it, and so the ceding came to naught.
January 16, 1883, the legislature elected Governor Cullom United States sena- tor and it was at that session of that body the so-called Harper high license law was enacted, making the license for dram shops not less than $500, and $150 for the sale of malt and vinous liquors only.
Richard J. Oglesby was elected governor in November, 1884, for the third time and was sworn into office, January 13, 1885. The great riot at Haymarket Square, Chicago, occurred May 4, 1886. A meeting was being held there by the labor element to consider the eight hour question and much noise and confusion took place. The police were called to quell the disturbance and a bomb was
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
thrown among them. Seven of their number were instantly killed and many wounded. Eight of the rioters were arrested for the crime, tried, found guilty, and seven of them sentenced to be hung, while the eighth was sentenced to the penitentiary for fifteen years. One of the prisoners committed suicide while in jail, four were hung, and the sentence of the other two was commuted to im- , prisonment for life.
January 14, 1889, Joseph W. Fifer was inaugurated as governor and it was at that session of the legislature that the sanitary district of Chicago was created and the construction of the drainage canal ordered.
COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
The great Columbian Exposition was to be held at Chicago in 1893 and the legislature was convened in the summer of 1890, to grant to the government the authority to hold it there and also to grant such other aid as was deemed neces- sary to hold the celebration and enable it to be devoted to exposition purposes.
The population of the state in 1890 was 3,826,351.
John P. Altgeld was elected governor in 1892. He was the first foreign born governor of the state, having been born in Germany in 1848. He was the first democratic governor since the election of Governor Matteson in 1852. About his first act after being installed into office was the pardoning of the Haymarket Square prisoners, then confined in the penitentiary. This act provoked a large amount of criticism from all classes all over the state, and even in other states, and so bitter was the feeling for this act of clemency on the part of the gover- nor that it hopelessly divided his party and he was most overwhelmingly defeated for reelection. During his administration, the World's Columbian Exposition, before alluded to, took place in Chicago. It was opened May Ist and closed at the end of October. The exposition was a great success in every particular and reflected much credit upon its managers.
John R. Tanner was the next governor and was inaugurated in January, 1897. The Cuban war, so called, occurred during his administration. It resulted in wrestling that island from Spanish rule and giving it independence, and also the acquisition of Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands to the American government.
THE CUBAN WAR.
The destruction of the warship Maine while on a friendly visit in Havana harbor and the great loss of American seamen, was the direct cause for the declaration of war with Spain. The news of the terrible tragedy as it was flashed across the wires, aroused the nation to activity to avenge the insult to the na- tion's flag, and steps were at once taken to investigate the cause of the destruction of the vessel and the blame was laid upon the Spanish authorities. A demand was made upon Spain for a redress of the wrong. She refused to admit any liability in the catastrophe and the war was the result. Troops were at once called for by the president and a noble response was made by every state in the Union. Seven regiments was the quota assigned to Illinois and these were quickly
ยท
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
raised and sent to the front, where they performed most excellent service for their country.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
May 23, 1900, the Illinois State Historical Society was incorporated, with the following object: "To excite and stimulate a general interest in the history of Illinois ; to encourage historical research and investigation and secure its promul- gation; to collect and preserve all forms of historical data in any way connected with Illinois and its people."
The population of the state in 1900 was 4,821,550.
Richard Yates was inaugurated as governor of the state in January, 1901. He was the first native born governor, his birth having occurred in Jacksonville, Illinois, December 12, 1860. The legislature that met in January, 1901, reappor- tioned the state into twenty-five congressional and fifty-one senatorial districts and appropriated $250,000 for the purpose of erecting a building and presenting exhibits of the state at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, to be held in St. Louis in 1904.
Charles S. Deneen was elected governor in November, 1904, and was duly installed into office in January, 1905. He was the second native born governor, his birth having occurred in Edwardsville, Illinois, May 4, 1863. He is a grad- uate of McKendree College and the Union College of Law. Governor Deneen is the present incumbent of that office.
RETROSPECTIVE.
In retrospect we will go back to early times and refer to some of the interest- ing incidents and matters that occurred when the state was young.
THE VISIT OF LAFAYETTE.
It was in 1825 that the Marquis de LaFayette came to Kaskaskia, while on his tour through the western country. That was one of the great events in the monotony of western life and served the pioneers with food for friendly gossip for years thereafter. The general assembly having learned of his arrival in America, addressed a resolution of welcome to him at its session in December, 1824, in glowing terms of admiration for his patriotic services for the country and earnestly invited him to extend his visit to the western country to Illinois. The address with a personal letter from Governor Coles, who became acquainted with LaFayette in France in 1817, was forwarded to LaFayette on the 9th of Decem- ber, and on the 16th of January, 1825, he expressed his gratification for the honor done him by Illinois and then added: "It has ever been my eager desire and is now my earnest intention to visit the western states, and particularly the state of Illinois. The feelings which your distant welcome could not fail to excite have increased that patriotic eagerness to admire on that blessed spot the happy and rapid results of republican institutions, public and domestic virtues. I shall, after the celebration of. the 22d of February, anniversary day, leave this place for the southern states, going from New Orleans to the western states, so as to
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