USA > Illinois > Madison County > History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches > Part 36
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There were two weekly newspapers published in Madison county at that time : the Republican, a pro-slavery org in under the direction of Theo. W. Smith, Emanuel J. West and Judge McRoberts (subsequently U S. senator) ; and the Spec- tator, a decidedly anti-convention organ, managed by Hooper Warren. "The controversy between the two papers in Edwardsville, representing convention and anti-convention, was waged with great violence. State Senator Theophilus W. Smith, afterwards Judge of the Supreme Court, editor of the Republican, undertook to cowhide Hooper Warren, of the Spectator. Failing in his purpose, he drew a dirk on him ; Warren then pulled out his pistol, when the combat- ants were separated, and nobody hurt." - Washburne on Gov. Coles.
:
The convention, or, more properly, pro-slavery scheme, was defeated at the polls on the first Monday of August, 1824, by a vote of 4950 in favor of, and of 6822 against it, Madison county polled 914 votes, 351 for, and 563 against. convention.
Among the papers of Samuel McKitrick, then a citizen of Madison county, now dead, was found the following ticket of that memorable election :
PEOPLE'S BALLOT.
For new constitution.
For article prohibiting banks.
For excluding negroes and mulattoes.
No right of suffrage or office to negroes or mulattoes.
For laws excluding negroes and mulattoes from coming into and voting in this state.
For congressional apportionment.
The reader will perceive how artfully the people's ballot was prepared. There was scarcely a dozen men in the county who would not have voted for the 2d, 31, 4th, 5th and 6th clauses, hence it was thought the first clause would be voted for also, as it was allied to good or at least popular measures. The political sense of the voters of 1824 how-
ever, was peer to the artful designs of intriguers who were ignominiously defeated. This ticket was given into the custody of the Historical Society of Chicago by Hon. Joseph Gillespie of Edwardsville, and is kept there as a memento.
The legislature elected in August 1824, strange as it may appear, was not anti slavery, for instead of electing Gov. Edward Coles senator of the U. S., as was generally ex- pected, they chose a strong and violent pro slavery man, Elias Kent Kane of Kaskaskia to succeed John McClean.
The reader will excuse the digression in which the writer hasindulged. The all absorbing question of the day had seized upon all people and officers, to such a degree that the public business was neglected. The records of the county commis- sioner's court of 1824, do not even state if taxes had been collected during the year. From a private memorandum made by the treasurer of the county and placed into the hands of the clerk in 1845 (twenty-one years later) it ap- pears however that the total revenue collected in the years 1821 and 1325 amounted to $4,511.61, and that the county authorities had signed warrants amounting in the aggregate to $8,031.84 in the same period of time.
The building of the donation court-house progressed but slowly. The court kept urging the committee to finish the work, or had their clerk to stir them up. We give here a specimen of Hail Mason's laconic letters :
Messrs John T. Lusk, Joshua Atwater and Paris Mason, Court-house Commissioners,
Gentlemen, you are requested to meet the commissioners court now in session, on the 26th instant and inform them what progress you are making (if any) in the discharge of your duties. I am respectfully yours etc.,
HAIL MASON, Clerk.
The commissioners had repeatedly prayed the court to grant them further time, to get that " donation house com- pleted. Finally however, the court released them altogether. The records of March 10, 1825, contain the following entry: Court will give up to J. T. Lusk, Paris Mason and Joshua Atwater their bond if they donate to the county the new brick court-house situated on the public square as far as it is finished, and level off the surface of the earth for a dirt floor all over except a space of 12 feet wide across the N. W. end of the lower story, which shall be floored for the judge's bench, and transfer to the county all material intended for the court-house and all the unpaid subscriptions, this to be done so that the circuit court may convene there on Monday next.
The court-house was taken formal possession of on the 25th of June, 1835. In speaking of this building, the Madison county Gazetteer has the following : Nor could the brick court house and jail built a few years afterward (i. e. after the building of the primitive log cabin c. h.) be called a great improvement. When the eccentric Lorenzo Dow came to Edwardsville to preach some years afterward aud was shown the court-house as the place of meeting, lie re- fused to preach in it, saying " it was only fit for a hog pen." It had not yet a floor except a very narrow staging for the Court and Bar. There were no stairs to reach the upper
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HISTORYOF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
floor, and it was painful to see old men serving as jurors, climb up a steep and fragile ladder.
The first public school district of the county was organ- ized by this board in June, 1825. It was named the " Alton district," commencing on the Mississippi at the mouth of Wood river, thence up that river to where the section line between 18 and 19, Town 5, Range 9, intersects it, thence cast on said section line, to the line between sections 16 and 17, thenee north, on said line to the north boundary of said township 5-9, thence west to the river, and south to the place of beginning.
The school districts Edwardsville, Silver Creek, Wood river, Ebenezer in 4-8 and East Fork in 4-5 were organized soon after.
J. T. Lusk was appointed assessor and also commissioner of census. Neither assessment nor eensus rep rts have been, preserved.
Prices of road labor were as follows : Each 4 horse wagon, 50 cent«, each pair of horses, 50 eents; each yoke of oxen, 50 cents ; each eart, 25 cents; each plow, 18} and each hand with tool, 50 cents per day. The county was subdivided into the following road distriets, placed under the manage- ment of the following supervisors :
Six Mile, with Joseph Squire; Edwardsville, with Nathan Searritt ; Long Lake, with John Waddle; Hoxey, with E. Hoxey ; Coles, with Robert Aldriek ; Indian Creek, with John Estabrook ; Piasa, with Isaac Scarritt ; Wood river, with Sam. W. Rhodes ; Alton, with Ephraim Marsh ; Sugar Creek, with Benaiah Gullick ; Silver Creek, with William Parkinson ; Troy, with Josiah Caswell ; Saline, with James Pearce ; Ridge Prairie, with Joseph Bartlett ; Unionville, with Ezra Post and Marine with Matthew C. Garey as supervisor.
SEVENTHI DISTRICT 1825-26.
John Howard, Benjamin Stedman and Daniel 1. Lanter- man (new members).
Joseph Conway resigned his office as elerk of the county commissioners, court on the 10th of December, 1825, where- upon the court appointed Hail Mason in his place.
1826. April 29. The court ordered, that Hail Mason and Emanuel J. West be appointed commissioners to sell the old court-house for cash to the highest bidder, also to let out to the lowest bidder the building of a flight of stairs on the new court-house and finishing two rooms for elerk's offices, and to report.
This report has been preserved, in words as follows ;
To the Hon. : County Commissioners of Madison county now in session :
The undersigned appointed by the Hon. county commis- sioners at their special term in April, 1826, to contract for the finishing of two rooms in the second story of the court- house and for erecting a flight of stairs in said court-house and to sell to the highest bidder for cash the old log court- house, report :
That in conformity with the authority vested in them by the court, they proceeded according to previous public notice to sell and did sell the old court house to Isaae
Prickett for 15! dollars cash, which was paid, and that they contraeted with Samuel Thurston for finishing the rooms and make the flight of stairs aforesaid, except plastering for the following sums, $60.00 to be paid in cash when the work is finished according to contract, that is on the 1st day of August, 1826, and $60.00 in an order on the county treasury, or its equivalent in state paper ;* of the above sums the undersigned will be able to pay the first amount in cash, (i. e. state paper) out of the funds in auditor war- rants in the hands of Hail Mason and the proceeds of the old court-house in like manner deposited.
The undersigned have it not in their power at present to say, if any or what balance will remain in their hands after furnishing the materials for the improvements, to make which they were appointed by your honors.
June Term 1826. Hail Mason, Emauuel J. West, Agents.
Thurston was paid $60.00 in county paper of $1.00 each, by order of court during the term.
The following were the successful candidates at the August election, 1826.
Joseph Conway, reelected state senator ; George Churchill, reelected representative ; David Priekett, elected representative ; William Montgomery, Emanuel J. Leigh, Samuel Seybold, county commissioners ; Nathaniel Buck- master, sheriff'; Jacob C. Bruner. coroner; 1Ion. Ninian Edwards was elected governor of the state at the same election ; Joseph Duncan was elected in the same year iu place of D. P. Cook, member of congress.
EIGIITHI BOARD 1826-27.
William Montgomery, Samuel Seybold and Emanuel J. Leigh.
This administration ordered the following :
SUBDIVISION OF COUNTY INTO ELECTION DISTRICTS.
In pursuance of " An act to provide for the election of justices of the peace and constables, approved December 30, 1826, requiring the county commissioners of each county in this state, at their June term, to divide their respective conntics into a convenient number of districts, not less than two or more than eight, distinctly defining the boundaries of each district, giving to each a name to appoint a place there- in for holding elections hereinafter mentioned, and to cause. the same to be rendered of record in their respective courts. It is therefore ordered that the county of Madison be laid off into seven districts in the following manner, to wit:
Edwardsville district bounded as follows: Commencing at Cox's old bridge on Cahokia ercek and running eastward so as to include Samuel Judy, thence northeast to the line be- tween towns thrce and four, thence east to the line between ranges seven and eight, thenee northerly so as to include
* The depreciations or county orders, "state paper," had brought about a most deplorable state of affairs. State paper was then worth 30 cents per $1.00, and county orders 663 cents in state paper or 20 cents in specie. State paper was "legal tender," the collector had to take it in payment for taxes, and, in that year, was instructed to receive county orders in lieu of state paper at 333 cents off. The revenue of 1826, $4,745.29, had a specie valuation of $1,423.58.
144
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Joseph Bartlett's and Clark's old place, thence to Silver ('reck, thence up the west fork of said creek to the county line, thence west along said line to Cahokin creek, thence down said creek to John Newman, thence west so as to in- clude said Newman, thence southwest so as to include the widow Davidson, thence to the beginning. The election to be holden at the court-house in ;the town of Edwardsville, on the first Monday in August next, and Edmund Fruit, Isaac l'rickett, and Joshua Atwater are hereby appointed judges of the same.
Sic Mile District bounded as follows : Beginning at Charles Dejailais on the bank of the Mississippi running south with the county line to the south line of the county, thence east with said line to Cahokia creek, thence up said creek to Cox's bridge, thence west to the beginning. The election is to be held at the dwelling-house of Barbara Laughlin. Thomas Gillham, James Brier, and Henry Hayes are hereby ap- pointed judges of election to be held on the first Monday of August next.
Indian Creek District bounded as follows: Beginning at Cox's bridge on Cahokia creek, thence along said creek so as not to include George Harlan, thence northeast to the widow Davidson, but not to include the widow, thence east to John Newman on Cahokia, thence up said creek to the county line, thence along said line opposite the east fork of Wood river, thence down said river so as not to include Little and Tichnells, and down the same to Pulliam's old ford, and thence to the beginning. The election to be holden at William Montgomerys. William Ogle, John Collet and Oliver Livermore were appointed judges of the same.
Silver Creek District bounded as follows : Beginning at the county line, where the line dividing sections 27 and 28 in- tersect it, in town three north and running north six miles, thence to the upper bridge on the west fork of Silver creek so as to include Caleb Gonterman, thence up said creek to the county line, thence east along said line three miles, thence southwardly to the south line of the county in the middle of Looking Glass prairie so as not to include Abraham and Joseph Howard, and to include John Herron, thence west to the beginning. The election is to be holden at the meeting house in the Marine settlement on the first Monday in August next, with William Parkinson, Isaac Ferguson and Jonah Caswell as judges.
Sugar Creek District bounded as follows : Commencing at the southeast corner of the county and running west along said county line to the middle of Looking Glass prairie, thence north so as to include Abraham and Joseph Howard, thence north to the county line, thence east to the northeast corner of said connty, thence south to the beginning. The elec- tion is to be held at the dwelling-house of Joseph Duncan, with Joseph Duncan, James K. Good and Joseph Howard as judges.
Collinsville District bounded as follows : Beginning at Cox's old bridge on the Cahokia creek, thence east along the south side of Samuel Judy's farm to the bluff, thence north- east to the township line between three and four north, thence along said line to the range line between range seven
and eight, thence northeast so as to include Samuel MeKitt- ricks to the section line running through the center of range seven, thence south along said line to the county line, thence west along said county line to Cahokia creek, thence up said creek to the beginning. The election is to be held at Collins- ville with Dempsey Guthrie, John Hall and Elihu Mather as judges.
Greenfield District bounded as follows: Commencing at Cox's bridge, thence west to Dejailais ferry, thence up the river to the county line, thence east with said line to the east fork of Wood river, thence down said river to where it passes through the bluff so as to include Tiehnell and Little to the place of beginning. The election is to be held at Alton, with William More, Oliver Foster, and David Smith as judges of the same.
Cahokia District, to be bounded as follows : Commencing at the southwest corner of section 36, town six north, range eight west, thence north 24 miles, thence cast 20 miles. thence south 24 miles on the line of Montgomery county, thence west to the place of beginning. The elections are to be held at the dwelling house of Stephen Wilcox, Sr., with Ephraim Beet, David Swett, Telemachus Camp, as judges. This was the largest precinct of the county at that period of time, containing 480 square miles.
The sheriff as collector of revenue was instructed to re- ceive county orders in payment of taxes at a discount of 334. It is truly painful to observe that the county authorities had thus to dishonor the county's paper. The county debt at that particular time was less than $5000, as will appear hereafter, and by proper management matters could certainly have been arrainged in a more satisfactory manner.
The law of 1826 above mentioned gave the people the long desired privilege to elect their justices of peace and constables, a boon that had been withheld for nearly a decade. The following justices of the peace were elected on the first Mon- day of August, 1827, to wit: Joseph Duncan, Moses Seeds, Thomas Gillham, (the one that had bought the silver knee- buckles at a public sale mentioned on a previous page) Jar- rot Dugger, James Pearce, Roger Snell, Emanuel J. West, Samuel Seybold, Julius L Barnsback, Ephraim Mar h, Daniel Meeker, Samuel W. Rhodes, Jesse Starkey, Wil- liam Ogle, Isham Vincent, Justus D. Selhorst and Jolin Claypole.
The following are constables elected at the same time to wit: William Cummings, Nicholas Kile, Peter Branstetter, Daniel Funderburk, John C. Dugger, Josiah Seybold, Josiah Little, William Newman, Samuel H. Denton, Jesse Huffaker and Amos H. Squire. Joseph Bartlett was ap- pointed treasurer and assessor, succeeding J. T. Lusk, re- signed.
The records under date of December 1827, contain a lengthy financial statement of the county, which is here in- troduced. It refers to a statement published in December, 1825, stating that there had then been a balance against the county (floating debt) of 83,783 62, whereas the records of that term state that their debt had amounted to $4,937.311. This difference is not explained.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
STATEMENT.
The expenditures of the county during the two years end- ing December, 1827, were as follows, on account of :
Road ?. . $ 548.22
Elections . 84.06
Compensation of connty commissioners 268.66
Boarding prisoners . 22 00
Compensation of county clerks 106.10
Selecting school lands 18.66
Support of paupers.
836.22
Stationery
66.25
Office rent
90.33
Sheriff's attendance of court
129.81
Jail repairs .
31 25
Court-house repairs 251 29
Fees in criminal cases 464 52
Compensation of assessor 166.49
Ex-officio salary of clerks
203 56
Salaries of constables 107.33
Attorney's fee County vs. Ed. Coles
250.00
$3645.05
Floating debt, December, 1875 .
3,753.62
$7,428.67
The receipts had been :
Taxes for 1826 . $2,086.94
Licenses and fines, 1826
113.64
County tax 1827 . 1.532 16
Licenses and fines, 1527
151.00
$4,745.29
Present floating debt .
៛2,683.38
NINTH BOARD, 1827-1830.
E. J. Leigh, George Smith and David Swett. The court- house troubles, like the ghost in Hamlet, would not down. This board was beset from all sides to have this incubus finished, and in February, 1828, the court contracted with Daniel Wise to complete the donation Court House at the expense of 8565.00. A few months later Daniel Wise wrote and subscribed the following document :
" It is hereby understood and agreed that I will deliver up and have the contract canceled, which I have lately entered iuto with the county commissioners of Madison County re- specting the court-house, and deliver up all the materials which I received from the county, provided the court which is to be called hy judge Lee (means Leigh) on Monday next, shall consent to receive the same.
Edwardsville, Aug. 5, 1828. DANIEL WISE."
The commissioners conducted the affairs of the county in a strictly economical style, the total expenditures of the year 1828 did not exceed the sum of $1200, while the income collected and in process of collection amounted to over $3000.00.
The election of 1828 was a very quite one. George Churchill was again elected to the legislature in company with old brother Williams Jones, who had again come down from the shelf, where he had been resting for years. The
revenue of 1829 was 82792.84, and it cost the county $209 06 to collect it. The court fixed the rates for ferries and taverns, making no changes except a slight advance in the price to be charged for whiskey or brandy. A new ferry had been established in 1828, and Matthew Kerr located it at the present site of the town of Venice ; his aunual license was fixed at $20 00.
The board employed Cyrus Elwards and David Prickett to bring suit against Joseph Bartlett, ex-treasurer, superseded March 30, 1830, by the appointment of Isaac Cox. In June following, Joseph Bartlett brought suit against the county, but found it unprofitable to prosecute. The county subse- quently obtained judgment against Bartlett, who took an appeal to the Supreme Court. Decree of court below was affirmed, and Bartlett paid $797.90 to David Swett, agent of the county, in March, 1834, in liquidation of the suit. Bartlett's securities, Matthias Haudlon and Julius L. Barn . back had previously served a notice on the court, asking to be relieved as no immediate steps were taken to obtain judgment.
The term of this board ended in August, 1830, when Thomas Gillham, Robert Aldrich and David Swett were elected. Joseph Conway was reelected state senator, and George Churchill representative. Madison and part of Macoupin formed a representative district, entitled to two members of the house. The second member elected was John B. E. Canal, whose residence is not mentioned in the records. Nathaniel Buckmaster was again, the sixth time in succession,elected sheriff, and James G. McGriffie coroner.
TENTH BOARD. 1830-1833.
Thomas Gillham, Robert Aldrich and David Swett.
The board at its October special term requested Judge T. W. Smith to invite Hon. S. D Lockwood to attend the next term of the Madison county circuit court, and to preside during the trial of the case against Joseph Bartlett.
At the December term William Meads, an old revolu- tionary soldier, appeared before the court, in order to secure for himself the pension to which he was cutitled under vari- ous acts of congress. There were quite a number of the heroes of 1776 living in the county, as related in another chapter. The application of Meads has been preserved. It runs thus :
STATE OF ILLINOIS, 1 8. Madison County. )
On the 6th of December, 183 ), personally appeared in open court, being a court of record for the said county of Madison, William Meads, resident in said coanty, aged ninety-one years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the act of congress of the 18th of March, 1818, and the 1st of May, 1820, that the said William Mcads enlisted for the term of three years in the year 1775, as well as he recollected, in the state of New Jersey, in the company commanded by Captain Dicker- son, in the line of the state of New Jersey, iu the regiment com- manded by Colonel Dayton ; that he continued to serve in the
1
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
same corps until he was discharged in the state of New Jersey ; that he enlisted again in the same regiment and company in the year 1778 ; that his name is not on any state roll except in the state aforesaid. And the following are the reasons for not making earlier application for a pension. He says that he has made application, but was told that he had been returned as a deserter on these grounds : that he had been taken prisoner during the battle on Long Island ; that he had deserted from the British prison-ship at Charleston, South Carolina, and joined General Green at High Hills, not being able to get to his own regiment; and while with General Green was at the battle of the Eutaw Springs, and was wounded ; that he was left with the wounded at Santee under the care of Gen- eral Sumpter, (?) and was unable to travel to join his regi- ment at the time it was discharged; and that these facts have never been laid before the government, and that he has no other evidence now of his said services in his possession or power than his own oath. And in pursuance of the act of 1st of May, I do most solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th of October, 1818, and that I have not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby to diminish it so as to bring myself within the provisions of an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary war, passed on the 18th day of March, 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person for me, any property or securities, contracts or debts due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereunto annexed and by me subscribed. My occupation is that of a farmer ; my ability to pursue it is very limited ; none of my children are living with me, so that I am dependent on other persons for a support.
Schedule .- I have nothing but the clothes that I wear, at the value of seven or eight dollars or thereabouts.
This application was a failure ; Mr. Meads' name does not appear on the pension rolls.
The preceding board had, as stated before, been very rigid in cases of economy. The pauper accounts in 1830 were less than $170.00; the elective cost, only $66.20; roads and bridges about as much, so that on the 9th of December all the outstanding county orders had been re- deemed, and yet a balance of $746.15 remained in the trea- sury. Measures were now, April, 1831, taken to finish the " donation " at public expense. Charles Sloper contracted to furnish material and finish the following work by the 1st of October, 1831, to wit: a desk for the judge, with the front neatly paneled, with a shelf and cornice, and two doors, four jury boxes, five seats for lawyers and suitors, balustrading to enclose the bar and jury boxes; in the upper story to put up a standing partition, base and surbase, two paneled doors; to finish laying the floor, suitable for two jury rooms ; to make and hang six pairs of " venetian" window-blinds, etc., all the work to be done in a good substantial manner, and of first-class material, for all which the county promises to pay said Sloper the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars in specie.
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