USA > Illinois > Madison County > History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches > Part 33
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2d. Samuel Gillham and Joseph Meacham, at the mouth of Little Piasa, Alton. This ferry was started by Col. R. Easton, the founder of Alton, in opposition to Smeltzer's ferry above, without success, -which may be seen from the fact, that the county taxed this concern at the rate of $2 00 per annum.
3d. Charles Dejailais, a Frenchman. Ilis ferry was lo- cated on the southwest corner of section 17, in townships 4-9, at the head of Chouteau Island, making trips to this island, as well as to the west bank of the Mississippi. The ferry was subsequently owned by Samuel Gillham.
4th. Jeptha Cheek, above the mouth of Wood river.
5th. Isom Gillham.
6th. Uel Whiteside, "a little above Portage des Sioux ;" this ferry paid an annual license of $2 00.
7th. Thomas Reynolds, across the Illinois river, about two miles above its confluence with the Mississippi.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
The records mention, besides the above, two more ferries in connection with the location of public roads, to wit: John Walker's ferry, then owned by Thomas Carlin,* afterwards governor of the State, and Hill's ferry.
Mills .- Thomas Kirkpatrick, on Cahokia, near Edwards- ville, stood there in 1812, had water power in 1817.
William Rabb, August, 1813-section 20th, townships 3-8, on what is now called school-branch of Cahokia.
Samuel Delaplain, March, 1815, transformed his mill into a water mill, located on Frank's branch of Cahokia, Goshen township.
John Newman, August, 1815, on Indian Creek.
Upton Smith, August, 1815,-Nov. 4, section 31, 5-8, on Indian Creek.
Wallace and Sealy, on Wood river, at Milton, largest mills in the county, making two saws and a grist-mill.
Nicholas Jarrott, 1817-on Cahokia, near Indian Ford. Jarrott was the mill builder of his times, although he invaria- bly lost money in this business. The Cahokia mills were the last he built, and it is said were the cause of his death ; as by ineessant exposures during their erection, he had con- tracted a malarial disease that ended his life and incessant labors.
Merchants licensed in 1817 : Abraham Prickett, Col. Ste- phens, Clayton Tiffin, (son-in-law of Nicholas Jarrott), and William L. May.
Taverns in 1817.
John T. Lusk,
George Coventry, Joshua Atwater, Clayton Tiffin,
Edwardsville.
John Atkin, William Morris, James F. Swinertown,
At or near Alton.
Charles Dejailais, at his ferry landing near the head of Chouteau Island.
John Waggoner, on the Wood river, near Moore's bridge.
Johu Herring, on Silver Creek, in the eastern part of the county.
Samuel Jacquevay, at Reynolds' ferry, on the Illinois river. The revenue derived from the licenses of those eleven taverns amounted in 1817, to $47.00.
The population of 1818 was made up principally by American settlers from the Southern States, a few New Yorkers, some New Englanders, and quite a number of Pennsylvania Germans and Irish Americans. The Canadian French had never been as important a factor of the popula- tion of this county, as of St. Clair. The few, who had ven- tured up the Cahokia, or on the islands in the Mississippi. thus separating themselves from their villages below, had almost disappeared in 1818; the records do not mention above ten French names at that time.
* Carlin was at that time so little known, that his name is scarcely ever spelled alike twice in succession, to wit : C'arlan, Corland, Cor- lin, Carland, etc., etc.
A few naturalized citizens,-six in number-are also to be mentioned.
Blacks were quite numerous, principally slaves and in- dentured servants, and a few registered as free persons of color.
It is safe to estimate the population of 1818 not to have exceeded 4,000; this estimate is made on the following basis:
The records of the year 1818 enumerate 484 laborers for road purposes.
The number of votes polled at the first state election in 1818, July 6th, 7th and 8th, was 517 ; and at a very exciting sheriff' election-W. B. Whiteside, Isom Gillham. and Jo- seph Borough, candidates, on the 17th, 18th and 19th Sept. 1818, only 536.
The number of bona fide resident free-holders in 1817, was 354; allowing the number of squatters to have been about two-thirds as great, we have in the county not more than 600 families.
Besides-there were eleven licensed taverns in the county, and statistics prove that taverns increased with the popu- latiou at the rate of about 275 per tavern.
Dana in his "Geographical Sketch " of 1818 allots 5,456 to the county, and the State census of 1820 counts 8,549.
The United States Census of that year, however, states the number of inhabitants of Madison county to have been 13,550. This report was made by Thomas Reynolds, but is most assuredly incorrect.
The morals of the pioneer period are creditable. True, there were a large number of indictments found for assault and battery, but then, combativeness was the characteristie feature of the day. The number of crimes against property was also small-five in six years and only one of those five proved. The perjury case mentioned must have been with- out foundation. Families seem to have lived in peace; there is not one ease of divorce on record.
The Dead .- Before closing this sketch, it is proper to give the names of those pioneers of the county who had closed their earthly career, who had finished their labors, and were now at rest.
1812 .- William Bradshaw, Prudence Casterland, Esther Ewing, John Smith.
1813 .- John Bradshaw, Fleming Cox, Isaiah Dunnegan, Benjamin Delaplain, Clement Gillham, Samuel Hutton, Obediah Hooper, James Raine, Benjamin Sample, Tol. Wright.
1814 .- Simeon Brundridge, Elsworth Baynes, Anthony Cox, Henry Cox, William Grotts, Harman Halcomb, Wil- liam Preuitt, Reason Reagan, John Snider, J. B. Thompson.
1815 .- Jear Baptist Amelin, Jude Converse, George Gillworth, Daniel Gilmore, Thomas Hudgell, William O'Neal, James Renfro, W. L. Smith, Benjamin Young.
1816 .- William C. Davidson, Stephenson Fowler, Thomas Green, Philip Gregg, Royal Green, Thomas Hood, William Hewitt, James Holladay, James Lard, Abraham Miller, Wm. Mclaughlin, John McFadgen, George Wise, George Moore, who had been reported dead in 1816, and whose
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
estate had been put under administration, reappeared in the county in 1817, to take charge of his estate.
1817 .- Thomas Cox, John Cardinal, Augustin Chilton, James Gingles, Elisha Havens jr , David Kennedy, Samuel Mears, Henry McGuire, John Nixion, Uriah Shaw, William Smith, William Thompson, William West, Alexander Waddle.
Civil History, 1819 to 1849 -The constitutional conven- tion of the new State completed its labors on the 26th of August, 1818. The convention had assembled at Kas- kaskia in July-the exact day of the month could not be ascertained at the present State capital. This conven- tion consisted of thirty-three delegates, presided over by Judge Jesse B Thomas, a resident of St. Clair. Madison county was represented in the convention by Benjamin Stephenson, Joseph Borough, and Abraham Prickett. Bond county was represented by two well known former citizens of Edwardsville, Thomas Kirkpatrick and S. G. Morse. The constitution was adopted by the convention without being submitted to a vote of the people, and approved by the Congress of the United States, December 3d, 1818.
The first General Assembly of the State held two sessions at Kaskaskia ; the first from October 5th to October 13th, 1818, and the second from January 4th to March 31st, 1819. George Cadwell represented the county in the Senate, and John Howard, Abraham Prickett, and Samuel White- side in the House of Representatives.
The legislature placed the county government into the hands of three commissioners, to be elected annually.
The commissioners of Madison county entered upon their duties on the 7th day of June, 1819. During the interreg- num from December 9th, 1818, to this date, the routine business of the county had been attended to by the clerk, who now, June 7th, 1819, made the following entry upon the records, viz :
" Be it remembered, That in pursuance of an act of the people of the State of Hlinois, represented in the General Assembly, entitled an act establishing the Courts of County Commissioners. It appearing from certificates from the judges of election of Madison county that William Jones, Samuel Judy and George Barnsback were duly elected as commissioners for the said county of Madison, Whereupon the said William Jones, Samuel Judy, and George Barns- back took their seats, and thereupon a court was held by connty commissioners for Madison county on the 7th day of June, 1819.
First Board of County Commissioners,-1819 to 1820 .- William Jones, Samuel Judy and George Barnsback.
Joseph Conway was appointed clerk, and George Belsha, treasurer.
The Court established a new "township " under the name of the " Bounty township," to include all the lands in the forks of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. This "town- ship" of 1819 has in less than fifty years been divided into thirty-four splendid counties, averaging seventeen con- gressional townships each. John Shaw, Lev Roberts, and David Dutton were appointed judges of election of the new township.
Another township, " Sangamo," was laid off to include all the settlements not heretofore included, and all the set- tlements on the Sangamon and its waters. Elijah Slater, Daniel Parkinson and William Danner were appointed judges of election of this new township.
The county authorities laid out and opened a road from Edwardsville to Clear Lake on the Sangamon, a distance of seventy miles, as early as 1820, surveyed by Jacob Judy, who caused mile posts to be erected along the entire length of said road, which is known to our readers as the "Spring- field" road.
"This day, July 14th," came into Court Hail Mason, Esquire, and paid to the clerk five dollars, which he received for profane swearing, and breaches of the Sabbath." Won- der how much was paid for a good round oath in those days of our fathers !
The proper explanation, however is, that Hail Mason, having made use of the powers granted by the law to him as a justice of the peace, had not only fined some follows for profanity and similar offences, but had also collected the fines thus imposed.
The Board of Commissioners next made an Appointment of Trustees for the school-lands, to wit :
T. 3, R. 5, Jonathan L. Harris, William Ramsay and James Good. T. 4. R. 5, John F. McCullom, Robert Coul- ter, and Thomas Johnson. T. 3 R. 6, Rob. G. Anderson, John Howard and William Parkinson. T. 4, R. G, Row- land P. Allen, John Scott, and Isaac Ferguson. T. 5, R. 6, James Gray, James Farris, and William Hoxsey T. 3, R. 7, Joshua Armstrong. Joseph Eberman, and David Samples. T. 4, R 7, Joseph Bartlett, Joseph Borough and Jacob Gonterman. T. 5, R. 7. Thomas Barnett, Henry Kelley, and Abraham Hayter. T. 3, R. 8, Micajah Cox, Benjamin Eaves and Augustus Collins T. 4, R. 8, William Gillham, John Barber, and William Ottwell. T. 5, R. 8, John Springer, Ephraim Woods and William Montgomery. T. 3, R. 9, Amos Squire, Isaac Gillham and John Singleton. T. 4, R. 9. Isom Gillham, Samuel Gillham, and Samuel Brown. T. 5, R. 9, John Wallace, William Ogle, and Abraham Preuitt.
An election had also been ordered to choose the regimen- tal officers for the second battalion of the Seventh regiment of Illinois militia. The vote was taken at eleven regularly established polls, and there were the following votes cast :- At Edwardsville 100, at Silver Creek 38, at Goshen 39. at Alton 116, at Augusta (a town in embryo in 3-6), 64, at poll No. 6, (Joe Duncans', east of the present town of High- land) 37. at Six Mile 67, at poll No. 8, (now Troy ) 19, at Piasa 48, at Wood river 81, and at Sangamon 29, amounting in the aggregate to 638 militiamen. The candidates for the position of Colonel were Joseph Borough, the favorite of Edwardsville, Goshen Silver Creek, and Troy, who re- ceived 230 votes ; Isaac Gillham, the Alton champion, who received 159 votes; and Washington Parkinson, the choice of Wood river, Augusta and poll No. 6, who received 249 votes, and was elected. Hezekiah L. Harris, Rob. St. Clair, William Montgomery, Abraham Howard, Harry Riggin and David Hendershott were candidates for Major; two to
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
be elected. Harris and St. Clair were the successful candi- dates, receiving 258 and 347 votes respectively. Mont- gomery very strong in Wood river, and Piasa township, came near being elected. Howard Riggin and Hendershott had no " show.'
Having thus chronicled who were to be the leaders in war, we will now introduce the names of those honorable preservers of the peace, known as "Squires," appointed under the new order of things, to wit :
Joshua Armstrong, John Clark, William Ramsay, Tho- mas Lippincott, William Ottwell, Robert Brazle, Thomas G. Davidson, Joseph Eberman, John Allen, Benjamin Spencer, Thornton Peoples, John Laird, Jesse Starkey, John Barber, Amos Squire, Micajah Cox, Hail Mason, (was notary pub- lic also), Daniel Parkinson, Adley Harris, Willian E. Row- den, Levi Roberts, Robert G. Anderson, John G. Sawyer, Joel Meacham, Reuben Hopkins, Henry Kelly, Edward Bishop, Isaac E. Robinson, Nathaniel Pinckard, Zachariah, Peters, and James W. Whitney.
The September and December Terms of the board were of no special interest. The board ordered that proper seals should be procured for the circuit court and county commis- sioners' court. The narrow public square was made more so by the erection of a stray pen, fifty by seventy feet, sur- rounded by a six foot fence, constructed of posts and rails. A. Baily built this fence, and received $20.00 for it. James Mason was appointed keeper of the pen.
William Holland, the lock-smith, made an extra strong lock for the jail door, and received $7.00 in compensation thereof.
The principal work done during these terms was probate business.
The assessment of 1819 was made by George Belsha, treasurer, and the revenue $1,542.92, was collected by W. B. Whiteside, the successor of Isom Gillham in the sheriff's office. The appropriations made for the year amounted to $2,168.29, of which $625.37 remained unpaid. The popu- lation of the county was constantly increasing, and three new ferries were established on Illinois river in 1819. The following estates had been put under administration by the clerk during the vacation, viz: George Coventry, Sally Coventry, adm'x; Thomas Costican, Nancy his widow, adm'x; and Pierre Tiller, as administrator ; Samuel Stock- ton, Hannah Stockton, adm'x; Matthew Dixon, Mary Dixon, adm'x ; Noah Hall, Esther Hall, adm'x; Joseph Mason, John Clark, adm'r; Michael Deeds, Abel Moore, adm'r; Reuben Stubbens, James Smith, adm'r ; Joseph King, Walker Daniels, adm'r; James Peasley, Phil. Calen, adm'r ; William Leonard, Polly Leonard, adm'x ; Elisha Dodge, Augustus Langworthy, adm'r; Abraham Stovecall, Elizabeth Stovecall, adm'x; and Robert Archibald, Robert Watts, adm'r.
The township of Sangamo was subdivided as follows : All the country north of the Sangamon to be called Sungamo township, with Matthew Eats, Stephen England, and Joshua Dean, judges of election.
All the country south of the North fork of Sangamon river, embracing the waters of said river and west, so as to
include the inhabitants on Sugar Creek, to be called Fork Prairie, with William Drennon, William Roberts, and Daniel Lisle, as judges of election ; and lastly, all the coun- try west of Fork Prairie, and south of the Sangamon river embracing the waters of said river to be called, Springfield, with Jacob Ellis, John Clary, sr., and John Campbell as judges of election.
The public buildings of the county were wholly unfit for the purposes intended. The necessity of providing for better and somewhat decent accommodations had become well un- derstood, but the pitiful condition of the county treasury, the scarcity of money, and the absolute " poverty " of the owners of lordly farms and plantations, rendered the authorities helpless. Realizing the condition of affairs, Col. Ben Ste- phenson, Judge T. W. Smith, acting for themselves, governor Ninian Edwards and others, had offered a most magnificent donation to the county anthorities, conditioned only, that the public buildings should be erected in the southeastern part of Edwardsville. This proposition had been made ver- bally early iu the spring of 1820, and in writing, on the 5th of June, 1820.
The proposed location of the public buildings created a storm of indignation in Lower Edwardsville, (the old town), and a most vehement opposition so intimidated the commis- sioners that they deferred their action in the premises. The golden opportunity was lost. The Edwardsville Spectator of June 13th, 1820, published the following open letter in reference to the matter. It throws much light on the sub- ject, and is here given at length :
To the County Commissioners of Madison County :
GENTLEMEN :- As a citizen, of the county interested in its prosperity and growth, and alive, in common with every other inhabitant, to any occurrence which may be turned to its advantage, I shall presume to address you. I have no disposition to inquire into all the acts of your administration, yet there is one which imperiously demands your attention, and in relation to that, I shall speak in the language of can- dor and sincerity. The fact is admitted that the county is not only now unable to erect its public buildings, but that it will probably continue in that situation for many years to come : indeed its poverty is too glaring to be denied ; and although the taxes collected for the last year exceed $3,000, yet this sum has long since been exhausted, and the county is now in debt several hundreds of dollars. This situation of things has constantly been urged as a reason against com- mencing any improvements in relation to the public build- ings ; and that it would be oppressive and unjust to resort to a tax on the people. to raise a revenue for such objects, and particularly so at the present period.
I am disposed to admit the truth of your position, and the justness of the inferences to be drawn from it; but it would to my mind be a paradox, that you should wish to avoil, or delay, the acceptance of a propositiou to erect the public buildings without expense to the county, and to re- ceive therewith a large and valuable donation of land, for the benefit of its inhabitants. That such a proposition has
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
been made, the records of your court fully testify, backed by the offer of ample security to carry it into etlect. Let me ask you, if in that proposition there was any thing illegal, or whether or not you have not expressed your united opinion in favor of the liberality of the offer. Upon what consideration, for what reason, or under what influence, have you been induced to hesitate and postpone a decision ? Have you not a desire to remove the burden of taxes, already like au incubus, oppressing and bearing down the people ? and is it by refusing or delaying to accept such offers that you demonstrate to them the sincerity of your profession ? Ask your own hearts whether you do not be- lieve, that nine-tenths of the county would hail their accept- ance with pleasure and gratitude ? Do you not believe that the general prosperity of the county would be promoted by it ? that the seeds of division, by a gratuitous erection of the public buildings would be torn up by the roots, and the petty factions which hope to di-tract and divide the county be prostrate in the dust ? What individual in the county would not be benefited by it ? Would be not be relieved from an enormous tax ? Would not an additional fund, from which a large and growing revenue could be createil, have been secured to the county, and which, if judiciously managed, would at a future day be of incalcula- ble importance ?
How then can you answer to the people? How answer to your own consciences for delaying to carry into effect a measure so important in its consequences, and so beneficial to the people at large ? I ask you whether the general interest of the county and of its inhabitants, is not the guide for your conduct on such an occasion ? and whether, if it is evident, that the general weal is to be promoted by the acceptance of such propositions, you can in justice to them, and a con :ci- entious discharge of your duty, justify yourselves in delay- ing to accept them ? I am unwilling, from the general good sense and impartiality with which you have discharged the functions of your office, to believe that any undue influence has been exercised over you, to control your decision, by the expression of extra judicial opinions, by a gentleman high in official dignity : but it is possible that his opinions may be entitled to too great weight, when his legal acquirements and education are considered, and no doubt the citizens of the county will feel under great obligations to him, when they may possibly know, through the medium of their pockets, that they are indebted in some measure to him, for the desirable privilege of paying for the erection of public buildings, which otherwise may have cost him nothing : and it is to be hoped, that his opinions in his own county and on the subject of a national road, may have equal weight. The people, however, are alive to the question of the erection of the public buildings, and deeply interested in the acceptance of the donation, and it remains to be seen whether their opinions are to have their just weight and influence. You have long enjoyed their confidence and respect, and I am bold to hazard a conjecture that you already regret your in- decision. Believe me, gentlemen, it is one of the worst traits in the human character. Imbecility is despised, when eren erroneous decisions may from their promptness be respected.
You have still the means within your reach of justifying the characters you have heretofore sustained as men of judg- ment aud decision. Let me then entreat you to reflect and act from the dictates of your own opmions, unbiassed by the threats and Jesuitical opinions of others. It is due to yourselves, it is due to the people. You cannot in justice to them and their rights, shrink from the discharge of your official duties. The future opinions of mankind will be formed of you from your present acts. You who so often met the dangers which were incident to the early settle- ment of this country, are not to be terrified by the threats of a few individuals, from the conscientious discharge of your duty ; nor do I believe that you are indifferent to the good opinion of those who were your companions in arms in those trying times. If the reasons here urged, however sincere and just they may be, shall not have that weight which they certainly deserve, a resort is left by the consti- tution and laws in an appeal to the people, who, by their suffrage may elect such as will be willing to respect and en- force their rights and interests.
A CITIZEN OF RIDGE PRAIRIE.
The writer of these lines may not have been a citizen of Ridge Prairie, but his words are sterling ones, and well worthy of presentation. He had probably read the entries made in the county commissioners' court, uuder date of June 6th, and June 8th, 1820, given below, and was now indignant at and angry with the commissioners for their timidity and indecision. Had he known how bittely and unreasonably the opposition had hammered upon those officers, his lan- guage would have been less cutting and severe. The Upper Edwardsville of those days contained but a few houses, but some of its inhabitants were rather exclusive, if not aristo- cratic, hence the bitter hatred against " Buncomb," the nick- name of Upper Edwardsville.
The court could not ignore the proposition of Col. Ste- phenson and others, and so made mention of it, and another one to be introduced hereafter in the following :
" June 6th, 1820 .- The court having received proposals by way of a donation to the county of Madison, for the pur- pose of erecting public buildings, they still hold themselves in readiness to receive any proposals that may be made until Thursday next (June Sth), at which time they will take the same under advisement.
" June 8th, 1820 .- The court, having received several propositions by way of donations to erect public buildings for Madison county, took the same under consideration, and not being fully advised thereof ordered that the pro- position be file l, until the next court, to which the matter is continued. Oa motion, leave is given Benjamin Stephen- son and T. W. Smith to withdraw their proposition, and leave is also given to Abraham Prickett to withdraw his.
From the contents of the above it would appear that Col. Stephenson and T. W. Smith thought that their liberal and all-embracing offer of a donation was treated with con- tempt by being mentioned in the same breath with that un- dated and undefined donation offered by York Sawyer, Esquire Prickett and others. The records do not state if
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