History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 42

Author: Brink, W.R. & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Edwardsville, Ill. : W. R. Brink & co.
Number of Pages: 698

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Other towns laid out during the period of the speculation in town property have remained, as for instance, Collins. ville, Highland Marine, Venice, Monticello and Troy. Troy, Alton, Venice and Edwardsville were prominent enough in 1832 to be mentioned by European tourists in prominent and standard works. We read, for instance, in Heinrich Christian

*Skinner, William,

since 1847 . 1 year.

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Gerke's " Observations made in North America," the follow- ing : *

Collinsville is also mentioned by this author. " It con- sists," said he, " of a mill, a Methodist church, the dwelling- house of Mr. Collins, a brother in-law of my son, and the farm house of Major Post, who has a most amiable family, and keeps tavern."

The work of H. C Gerke, from which these notes are taken, contains innumerable items of interest, and the reader will find many more interesting quotations from it in the chapter on European Immigration.

The towns, described by Gerke as he found them in 1831, were then the only towns in the county existing in reality, and they have remained the leading towns of the county to this day. At the close of the period 1849, the towns had of course grown and developed in keeping with the general progress. During this period-1818 to 1849-the county was represented in the state senate by George Cadwell, 1818 to 1822, Theophilus W. S Smith, 1822 to 1826, Joseph Con- way, 1826 to 1834, Cyrus Edwards 1834 to 1838,* George Churchill 1838 to 1842, George Smith 1842 to 1846,t and Joseph Gillespie from 1846 to 1850. In the house of representatives we find John Howard, Abraham Prickett and Samuel Whiteside from 1818 to 1820 ; Joseph Borough, Curtis Blakeman, George Churchill and E J. West, 1822 to 1824; Curtis Blakeman, George Churchill and William Oitwell 1824 to 1826. George Churchill and David Priekett 1826 to 1828 ; George Churchill and William Jones 1828 to 1830; John B. E. Canal and George Churchill 1830 to 1832; (part of Macoupin and Madison counties forming then one representative district) Cyrus Edwards and James Sem- ple 1832 to 1834; Nathaniel Buckmaster, James Semple and Jesse B. Thomas Jr. 1834 to 1836. John Hogan, James Semple and Robert Smith 1836 to 1838; William Ottwell, George Smith and Robert Smith 1838 to 1840; Cyrus El- wards, Joseph Gillespie and James Reynolds 1840 to 1842. Robert Aklrich, John Bailhache and Curtis Blakeman 1842 to 1844; George Barnsback, George Churchill and N. D). Strong 1844 to 1846; Curtis Blakeman, W. A. De Wolf and William Martin 1846 to 1848. Names of Senators and Representatives after the adoption of the constitution of 1848 will appear hereafter.

* I spent a most pleasant winter (1831-32) in Edwardsville. The town has but one street, and unpaved at that! It is situated on a : Nathaniel Buckmaster, William Ottwell, 1820 to 1822. ridge alongside the Cahokia river, has a castor oil mill, a wool- earding machine, a flouring and saw-mill, on the Cahokia; four At- tornies' offices,-James Semple, Thomas, Prickett and Greathouse ; one physician,- Dr. Edwards, brother of my friend, Ninian Edwards, formerly governor of the state: a post-office, Prickett, postmaster; a real estate broker's office,-Lusk, father and son; a newspaper office,-Judge Sawyer, proprietor and editor ; a United States land office; five stores of some magaitnde and importance, and one tavern, with the sign, " Washington. During the winter of my stay we had six balls and two soirees, one at Judge Smith's and the other at Mrs. Prickett's, and every Saturday a meeting of the literary and debating society. On the 22d of February the militia was out on parade, and inspected by the honorable and dignified Reynolds, governor of the state, who remained four days occupying my room at the tavern. Thus I got acquainted with the American city or town life. I spent two months on my son's farm in Marine settlement, making frequent visits among the neighbors, and thus posted myself also with rural life in this grand republic of America. I have closely observed everything I have had occasion to see; I have studied the labors of the American mechanic and agriculturalist as diligently as possible, and was favorably impressed with everything I saw. The most striking feature of this people in Illinois is their hospitality and their Madison county was represented in the constitutional con- ventions of 1818 by Benjamin Stephenson, Joseph Borough and Abraham Priekett, and in that of 1847, by Cyrus Ed- wards, E. M. West, Benaiah Robinson and George T. Brown. uniform kindness to one another, and to strangers and foreigners. I shall always remember with gratitude how I was treated by those people. Ilinoistown (he calls) the worst thing contained in the state, and mentions it only because the St. Louis ferries make their land. ing there. Alton the says) is situated on the Mississippi river, some 1849 To 1882. twelve miles north of Edwardsville. The town is growing wonderfully. The year 1849 found the county subdivided into sixteen precinets to wit : Highland, W. W. Ramsey, Joseph Suppi- ger and Oliver Hoyt, judges of elections; Saline, John Giger, J. W. Coventry and Christian Waage ; Looking Glass, Wesley Dugger, Joseph Miller and John Lindley ; Marine, W. W. MeLain, Lewis L. Judd and R. P. Allen ; Silver Creek, Lewis Rieks, J. R. Prickett and Abel Olive; Troy, George Churchill, Jesse Renfro and Jubilee Posey ; Omph Ghent, Samuel L. Miller, Samuel Sanner and Moses Barber ; White Rock Henry H. Snell, Archibald Lamb aud Alexander Fleck ; Collinsville, Horace Look, J. J. Fisher and George Moffit ; Edwardsville, Samuel Smith, G. N. Kerr and Joshua Dunnagan ; Bethel, Isaac Cox, Joel U. Starkey and Edward J. Dorsey ; Upper Alton, Isaac War- During my stay (one year) it increased its number of dwelling houses from five to fifty. Its future growth may be materially influenced by the location of the national road, the terminus of which is to be either Alton or St. Louis. Alton is situated on lime-rock formation, sloping west towards the river. The town site belongs to Mayor Hunter and Mr. Russell, who at first gave lots away for forty or fifty dollars, but now they get two hundred dollars or more for each lot. Most of the town is still a dense forest ; but if the national road is located to Alton, it will greatly enhance the values and open a fine field for speculation. The farms of Mayor Hunter, William Lowe, Widow Morris, William Montgomery and others, are for sale, and will soon become high- priced. Mr. Russell has lately bought some ci, hty quarter sections of woodland, near Alton, and these lands are also in the market. On the bluff, near Alton, at an elevation of two hundred feet above the river, stands the state penitentiary, and from this place one can sre the Mississipi, the Missouri, and also the region of the mouth of the Illinois river. On the side of this bluff, painted on the rock, are found two figures, representing the Good and the Bad Maniton, sixty * Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties were entitled under the ap- portionment of 1836 to an additional senator. John D. Whiteside was elected in August 1836, but resigned March 5, 1837, when James B. Moore was elected to fill vacancy to 1538. feet above the surface of the water. One seems to represent the body of a large goo-e, bead turned backwards, and arranging feathers with beak, the other has four dragon heads. Indians make their appear- ance here quite frequently, and in large numbers, to worship. It is remarkable that the red color of the Manitou never fades.

+ James A. James, of Monroe was the additional senator for Madi- son, St. Clair and Monroe counties 1842 to 1$46.

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

nock, John A. Maxey and George Smith ; Six Mile, Hiram Sippy, Hiram Arthur and J. W. Delaplain ; Madison, P. S. Day, J. R. Gillham and Jesse Rhodes; Alton, William Hayden, John Chaney and Mark Dixon ; Monticello, Timothy Turner, Aaron P. Mason and Josiah Randle.

The county was officered as follows : Ilenry K. Eaton, county judge, with I. B. Randle and Samuel Squire assoei- ates. Under the state constitution of 1848, the county judge was ex-officio probate judge, and he, with the associates were entrusted with the eivil government of the county.

John A. Prickett, was county clerk; Andrew Miller, sheriff'; William Gill, coroner; E. S. Brown, treasurer ; E. V M. West, school commissioner ; Benaiah Robinson, surveyor ; and W. Brown, clerk of the circuit court and recorder. Hon. W. H. Underwood, of St. Clair, was judge of the second judicial eireuit of which Madison formed a part.

GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTY-FIRST COUNTY COURT 1849 To 1853.

Henry K. Eaton, judge, I. B. Randle and Samuel Squire associates.

One of the first measures of this court was to bring order into the financial chaos, mentioned on a former page in this chapter. The judge caused the following order to be enter- ed, to wit: The subject of borrowing money or levying a special tax in view of the depressed state of the county finances, and the depreciated value of the county orders, having been frequently submitted to the consideration of the court by many of the tax paying citizens of the county, and the court being desirous to pursue such a course in the premises as a wise and prudent policy would dictate, have this day appointed Fred. T. Krafft, Esq., an agent to make inquiry and obtain information on the following points, to wit : From whom money ean be borrowed, the amount from each individual, at what rate of interest from each, for what length of time the loan from each can be had, and to make his report at the March term, 1850. The report, if ever made, was not recorded and cannot be found among the files. It is to be presumed that Mr. Krafft reported verbably that no money could be had except at ruinous rates of interest, for the court raised the tax rate to 75 cents ou the assessed value. The appointment of a fiseal agent was of very questionable propriety at any rate, for it created a new office, for which no provision had been made by the fundamental law. The officers authorized by law should attend to the public affairs and if the controlling officers attend strictly and diligently to their duties, confusion and financial misery nced not be feared. The system of " financial agents " of the county has been the cause of great losses to the county. As long as the " fiscal agent " was an outsider, no harm came from the system, but in later years it became the practice that the controlling officer-the county judge-made himself the fiscal agent, to borrow money for county purposes and dis- burse it together with the revenue raised by taxation. The system, with some interruptions, existed for 24 years.

The court, in 1849, aided the construction of a plauk-road from Edwardsville to Venice by granting to the plank-road company the right of way, 22 feet off of the right haud

side of the county road, free from charge and also the use of the embankment across Wet Prairie, and of the county bridges, on the condition that the company keep the bridges across Cahokia and Long Lake in repair. In case that new bridges became necessary, the company were to pay each one half of the costs.

At the March term, 1850, large elaims for taking care of paupers were presented, and Judge Eaton caused the fol- lowing to be spread on the record : The court do conclude and adjudge that these elaims cannot be allowed, for the reason, that the county finances are not in condition to war- rant it, that the allowanee of them and many others of the kind, which have been presented to the court, would open the door for such a flood of claims for pauper services, as if paid would nearly, if not entirely, exhaust the whole revenue of the county. The court have furnished a Poor House for such paupers with a view of lessening the county expenses for taking care of them, and if persons will make heavy bills on account of paupers apart from the Poor House, they must do it at their own risk.

The Collinsville Plankroad company obtained the same privileges granted to the Edwardsville company.

1850 JUNE TERM.

W. W. Jones, who had contracted with the county for keeping the Poor House, was released and a new contract entered into with Robert Stewart, who was to have $624 per annum, for keeping, feeding, clothing and nursing the in- mates, provided their average number was not more than six. For every additional one, Stewart was to be paid $2 00 per week.

1850-JULY TERM-DEATH OF E. S. BROWN.

At a special term of the county court of Madison county, held on the 18th of July, 1850, the following preamble and resolutions were adopted :

" WHEREAS since the last adjournment of this court, it has pleased the allwise and merciful Creator of the universe to re- move from our midst our esteemed associate, Edward S. Brown, late treasurer and assessor of Madison county ; and WHEREAS we are desirous of rendering a tribute of respect to the memory of our deceased friend who has endeared himself to us by his many virtues and manly deportment, therefore be it

Resolved, That while we humbly submit to the decrees of God, we deeply deplore the untimely death of our friend and fellow citizen Edward S. Brown; that in his death the county of Madison has lost an able, impartial and faithful officer, and the community a valuable and worthy citizen ; That we deeply sympathize with the bereaved family and friends of the deceased in their sad affliction ; and That the clerk of this court present to the family of the deceased a copy of these resolutions and also cause the same to be pub- lished in all the public newspapers of the county.

The grand jury of the county memorialized the court on the subject of dramshop licenses in the fall of 1850 as fol- lows: That they (the grand jury) find a number of those who become inmates of the jail and the poor house addicted

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

to the use of ardent spirits, and in consequence become charges to the county, they believe the granting of lieense to keep groceries at the usual low rates is the cause of much intemperance and crime, and recommend to the court that hereafter no grocery licenses be granted for less than $100, believing that if the rates shall be materially raised, there will be fewer groceries and less intemperance, poverty and crime in our county. The court acted promptly on this sug- gestion by raising the license to $100.

The autumn election of 1850 resulted in the election of Andrew Miller and N. G. Edwards, as members of the House of Representatives, Fred. T. Krafft, Sheriff, William Gill. Coroner, and Thomas W. Yates, Treasurer, in place of E. S. Brown, deceased.

At the close of the year the court caused the clerk to pre- pare a statement of the outstanding county orders, from which statement it appears that this floating debt amounted to about $35.078.17 ; " about " because a large number of county orders, supposed by W. T. Brown, former clerk, to have åmounted to $1700, were paid and destroyed in 1843 without being canceled on the books. Mr. Prickett had re- ported $36.778.17 as unpaid, and then the court deducted the above amount of $1700, leaving an apparent debt of $35 .- 078.17.

The county revenue of 1850 was $17.550.44, and the ex- penditures-Roads and bridges, $6.987.79 ; Courts and offi- cer-, $4.599.71 ; Paupers, 82.797 15; Jail, $439.11 ; Election, $127.40. Interest, $1868.86, amounting to $16.820.02; leav- ing a surplus of $730.42. The court had trouble with the deputy assessors on account of their " unheard of" charges, and ordered that hereafter their officers should present itemized accounts, duly authenticated and certified by the county assessor. The clerk was instructed to make settle- ments and report what he had done Mr. Prickett reported in March 1851 that he had paid $738.00 for the assessment of 1850, which report was sanctioned by the court.

A ludicrous error occurred about the Alton assessment. Lewis Kellenberger, appointed deputy county assessor for Alton, was at the same time the assessor of the city, and had, as such to make two assessments, one for city, and the other for state purposes. As city assessor he found the Alton taxable property to be worth 81.082.549, while as deputy county assessor he found the same property to be worth only $771.556, a difference of $310.993. He, however, made by mistake, return of the city assessment to the clerk, who pro- ceeded to extend state taxes on city valuations, and in this manner the state tax of Alton was about 30 per. ct. higher than Kellenberger had intended it to be. Doctors are said to dislike taking their own medicine, but, nevertheless, it may sometimes be well to do so.

The first report of the county school commission was filed in the court on the 5th of March, 1851, from which it appeared that there were then 65 school-houses in the county, that 2753 children had attended the schools during the year, that the township school funds amounted to $4000,-and that there were four school-libraries in existence, at Alton, Upper Alton, Edwardsville and Collinsville. The tax levy for the year was again 75 cts. per $100, of which 4-15 was

appropriated towards reducing the county debt. The as- sessed value, Alton property excluded, amounted to 82 784 .- 775. A subsequent report of the county debts shows au actual reduction of $5.765 02. The measures of economy of this court were in many cases too rigorous and at times un- just. As an instance it may be related that the treasurer of the county in 1851 was allowed a compensation of $10.00 only, because the collector had made his returns to the county court direct, instead of through the treasurer, who ought to have known that the law gave him 1 per. cent. both on receipts and disbursements. Mr. Yates should have received $356.40 instead of $10. A grand jury report in reference to the poor house was submitted to the court, in which the examining committee recommended to the court, that more attention be bestowed upon this institution (poor- house) by their honorable body (meaning the court) by vis- iting frequently the institution and seeing that the persons employed perform their duties and secure a little more com- fort to the unfortunates confined there.

The county bought 100 acres of land in section 4, town- ship four, range eight, of B. J. Head, two miles west of the court-house, intending it for a poor-farm, and ordered the forty arres heretofore bought for that purpose to be sold at public sale ; Mr. Krafft became the owner of that tract and paid for it in March, 1853. The poor house expenses, with an average number of thirteen inmates, amounted to $2 074, or about $160 per capita. This is a great deal of money, much greater than it should have been, and it is not to be wondered at that the county authorities contemplated a change in the system. Many elaims presented to the court for allowances, bear evidence of the court's displeasure; we will here introduce a few marginal remarks in the unmis- takable handwriting of Judge Eaton. A county printing office had presented a bill of $50 for two plain record books. The following sentence is endorsed on this bill : " The court allows this claim, although it looks upon it as an extortion.'' A store account of $41.25 is endorsed by Eaton as follows : " $41.25 allowed, but members of the court do complain of the excessive amounts for medicines, an unheard of charge until last year, also of whisky for the poor house at $2 per gallon ! of brooms, what can the county want with a dozen of brooms at one time ? Some of the articles of stationery for the court-house, such as blotting-paper at 40 cents a quire, and so many quires (10) at once, etc."

At the June term, 1852 Joseph Suppiger, F. Ryliner, Garritt Crownover, Christian Kuhnen and W. Fisher, all citizens of Highland, presented the following memorial to the court :

" The undersigned, a committee appointed at a meeting of the citi- zens of Highland, held on the 11th of June, for the purpose of making some regulations for the purpose of nursing and attending the sick and burying the dead, in case our place should again be visited, as in 1819, by cholera, respectfully urge the Hon. County Court to appoint an overscer of the poor for the Highland district. Some symptoms of this dreadful scourge have made their appearance amongst ns, and caused us to hold the meeting mentioned above. Generally, in the spring, and until the latter part of July, the greatest number of immi- grants arrive ; and those coming in June and July are more apt to carry the seed of sickness in their system. The influx of immigration

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

cannot be stopped; there are no laws prohibiting strangers to settle among us, nor do we wish for any such laws; but, of course, we have to take the bad consequences together with the good, and a wise com- munity ought to prepare in time to avoid the worst, and to alleviate the sufferings of our fellow beings. It is not only these new comers, but very often poor, single individuals, who have been living for some time among us, that are taken suddenly, and, having no relatives or friends to take proper care of them, are sent adrift, and for want of care suffer often dreadfully, even beyond description, and if they have the good luck to die, there is nobody to have them decently buried. In such emergencies it is absolutely necessary to have an overseer of the poor ready to attend to the business. There were cases here where such duties were denied for some time. And it is another important requirement, besides the appointment of such overseer, that such over- seer be not restricted in the manner in which the order of the County Court of the 27th of December, 1850, did restrict all former overseers. There is no possibility in most of the cases to make timely application, and if it should be in time, and the patients could be brought to the poor honse, we presume that the citizens of Edwardsville would object to such importations, and more so for dead bodies than only sick per- sons. Whenever it comes to such a pass, even the most benevolent families will refuse to receive the victims into their houses. And if there is no overseer of the poor to act in such cases, whose duty is it to act ? Several applications have been made these last three or four weeks to the former overseer, who does not consider himself empower- ed to give any orders, and made only arrangements with the provist , that the agent, hereafter to be appointed by your honors, would ratify the measures taken. It is impossible to apply to the County Court in such emergencies,-the distance forbids any such attempts and princi- pally in cases of death, where putrefaction sets in quicker than in all other diseases. The committee would respectfully recommend Doctor Theophilus Bruckner, as a fit and proper subject for such an over- seer, he being a young physician, and able to make the necessary discrimination ; and, as neither sickness nor death waits for conveni- ence, and as there is at no other season of the year the same necessity as at present, they would urge to the Hon. Court the absolute needful- ness of immediate action, and to send out the appointment of such an overseer,-and, further, to make such orders and not restrictions as would directly annul all the benefits intended by the framers of the statute of our state. All of which is respectfully submitted to your llon. body."

The court appointed Dr. Bruckner at once, as Joseph Sur- piger had peremptorily refused to act The fears of the citizens of Highland were too well founded. The plague made its appearance, and a dreadful mortality ensued.

The county revenue of 1851 was larger than ever before, amounting to 823,342.93, and quite an amount was appro- priated in the support of the dying and frieudless immi- grants at Highland.

The tax levies were not lowered in subsequent years ; they amounted to $27,506.57 in 1852, and to $27,114 53 in 1853.

T. W. Yates was re-elected treasurer in 1851, and J. R. Woods succeeded Mr. West as school commissioner.

In 1852, Joseph Gillespie was re-elected to the state senate, S. A. Buckmaster and Thomas Judy became members of the lower house, C. A. Murray sheriff, and S. W. Robbins coro- ner. Hon. W. H. Bissell, of St. Clair, was re-elected repre- seutative of the first congressional district of Illinois.

SECOND COUNTY COURT 1853-1857.

Henry K. Eaton, county judge, and D. D. Collins and Joseph Chapman, associate justices. John A. Prickett was

re-elected county clerk, J. W. Terry was elected school commissioner, T. W. Yates treasurer and W. E. Wheeler county surveyor, with Joseph Burnap as surveyor of the western district of the county.

The building of the present court-house was the principal public work done during this administration. The people of the county were greatly agitated about it, a large number making strenuous efforts in opposition. The question of dividing the county was again mooted, and this very agita- tiou nerved the court in its proceeding to build, in order to put a quietus on the opposing element. Petitions pro and con. poured in from every part of the county, and we shall here introduce two samples, to wit: "The petition of the voters of Madison county respectfully sheweth : That they regard with feelings of lively emotion, all measures which have for their object the advancement of the welfare of the community of which they form a part ; while, on the other hand they deprecate, as injurious, all schemes that tend, by undue agitation, to disturb publie tranquillity, or ou slight pretences, to destroy the order of long established institutions. Of this latter character they deem all attempts to dismember the old and respectable county of Madison. They have learned with regret, that it is in the contemplation of some, to divide and form a new county by cutting off a large por- tion of Madison. They believe that such a measure would be injurious to all concerned; it would destroy the political importance of both the counties, while, as a matter of ex- penditure, it would increase the cost to the whole people. Two sets of buildings would have to be erected in the first instance, and in all future time there would be rendered necessary an increased taxation for county purposes.

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History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 42

Author: Brink, W.R. & Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Edwardsville, Ill. : W. R. Brink & co. Number of Pages: 698

Author: Brink, W.R. & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Edwardsville, Ill. : W. R. Brink & co.
Number of Pages: 698