History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 43

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

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" With a view to quiet this matter and secure the solid advantages of certainty and repose to every part of our county, they deem it politic and proper to ereet, on a scale commensurate with the wants of the people, the convenient administration of justice, the safety of the publie records, and the growth of a free and prosperous people, suitable public buildings at the present county seat. As yet, the people of this county have expended little or nothing for public buildings, the court-house now in use having been erected at the expense of the citizens of Edwardsville. These buildings are unsafe, inconvenient, uucomfortable and un- worthy of the county; and in our opinion, the period has arrived when they should be replaced with others of a more permanent, convenient aud substantial character.

"The undersigned, therefore, pray the Honorable County Court to take such measures, as in its wisdom shall seem best, to cause the erection of suitable public buildings, on a scale calculated to serve the present and future wants of the people of this county." And now-audiatur et allera pars.

We, the undersigned tax-payers of Madison county, respectfully remonstrate against the recent order of the county court in relation to building a new court-house. Believing, as we do, that the building cannot be prosecuted as contemplated by the court without creating a large interest bearing debt, which will have to be met by an increased rate of taxation, and believing this to be bad policy at auy time, and more especially in the present condition of the

POOR HOUSE.

JAIL

COURT HOUSE. PUBLIC BUILDINGS, MADISON COUNTY, EDWARDSVILLE, ILL.

171

HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

money matters of the county; we, therefore, respectfully request your Hon. Body to suspend the execution of the orders referred to for the present season, etc., etc.

This petition was presented by J. T. Debam, who added the following postscript : There have 32 tax-payers signed this remonstrance. Every man that saw it, signed it, and if any person could have had time to have gone around and presented it, every man that has to pay taxes would oppose the building of a new court-house. In Monticello precinct, I have no fears of vouching for Josiah Randle, etc , etc., mentioning every man in the township !

The court itself was not unanimous, as will be seen by the solemn protest of the member from the western part of the county, the Hon. Joseph Chapman, in words as follows :

Madison county court, March term 1855; whereas, con - trary to the wishes of a large majority of the people of this county, as the undersigned believes, the majority of this court at this term has passed an order to build a court - house in the town of Edwardsville, and whereas, there is no recourse left to the undersigned but to protest against the said order, therefore the undersigned asks that his protest may be placed upon the record of this court.

JOSEPH CHAPMAN.

The order against which Mr. Chapman protested was very brief: That the court appoint Joseph Gillespie, Michael (. Dale, Wm. T. Brown, Fred. T. Krafft and Juo. A. Prickitt a committee to decide upon the best plan of a court-house suitable for the county, and that a new conrt- house be built.

It is said that it took a great deal of argument and reasoning to get the Hon. D. D. Collins to vote " aye. " In fact, the members of the court were subjected to very bitter and ven- omons censure. The plans for the court-house were made by Charles H. Pond, who also became the contractor. The price agreed upon was $34,846.00, which amount was paid in 10 per. cent. interest bearing county bonds, the greater part of which was a portion of the interest bearing county debt, refunded in 1877.

The court-house was completed in September 1857, and was placed in charge of the sheriff with instructions to have the different rooms locked and to keep intruders out. Polit- ical conventions, agricultural and mechanical societies had standing permission to hold their meetings in the court room, others had to get special permission from the county court.

A new precinct, Alhambra, was established March 1855, with poll at the house of W. J. Lowrey, and the precinct of Bethel, formerly Rattan's prairie, received the name Bethalto.

The poor farm bought in 1852, was sold to J. R. Mel- drum and others in 1855. Whenever a county undertakes to raise corn or potatoes, it is sure to pay too much for the whistle, as the immortal Benjamin Franklin would say. During this term a substantial bridge across Cahokia creek on the Springfield road near Edwardsville was built under contract with the county by D. P. Wentworth for 83.150. 00. The county revenue during these four years amounted

to 827.183 52; in 1854, $30.779.93, in 1855, $29 598.46, in 1856, 830,092.40. One of the collectors during that period failed to settle his accounts in full. George Churchill and John Edwards made good the deficiency which amounted to $2,250 37. The last payment was made April 16, 1859, and the whole debt, including interest and damages, amounted to $2,583.91.

The fiscal statements made during those four years have not been preserved. The writer happened to find a state- ment of 1858, published in a Highland newspaper. The county debt was stated to have been as follows :

12 per cent. interest bearing county orders . $2.400 00

8 per cent. interest bearing county orders 5,800.00

6 per cent. interest bearing county orders . 1,200.00

10 per cent. int. bearing conrt-house bonds . 32 $46.35

Floating debt-county orders . 7,893.00

Total $50,139.35

Election returns of 1854 :

G. T. Allen and Henry S. Baker, members of the legis- lature, John R. Swain, sheritl and W. G. Pinckard coroner.

Of 1855. O. C. Drake, school commissioner and B. D. Berry, treasurer. Of 1856. Joseph Gillespie, senator, Lewis Ricks and Aaron P. Mason, representatives, Z. B. Job, sheriff, W. G. Pinckard coroner and T. O. Springer clerk of the circuit conrt. Of 1857. John Weaver school commissioner, B D. Berry treasurer, M. G Dale county judge, E. M. Morgan and George Stocker associates and John A. Prickett, county clerk.

THIRD COUNTY COURT, 1857 TO 1861.

M. G. Dale, Judge, E. M. Morgan and George R. Stocker associate justices.

The affairs of the county were conducted with great pru- denee and rigid ceremony. The tax rates were not increas- ed although there was an additional expenditure of over $3,000 interest on court-house bonds. The court succeeded not alone to meet all current expenses of the county but even to materially reduce the interest bearing debt. The revenue of 1858 was $32,623,37, of 1859 $33,477.37, of 1860 832,954.67, and of 1861 $31,376.12. Taxes were paid promptly and tax dodging was not allowed to cripple the administration.

The taxable property of the county in 1858 was assessed at $8,712,283, of which 82,182.208 worth of property within the corporate limits of Alton was exempt from pay- ing a direct county tax. Alton took charge of the paupers in its corporation, and paid its proportional share of the other county expenses out of the city treasury, as agreed upon by the county court and city council. The total tax for the state, county and school purposes amounted in 1858 to 890,995,67. In 1859 these valuations amounted to SS,- 823,797, including railroad valuations, mentioned above for the first time, to wit: $272,137; lands were assessed at $33,- 998,085 ; city and village property, $2,128,809; and per- sonal property, $2,433,766; the total taxes amounted to $94,- 152,72.

172

HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

In 1860 valuation had iucreased to $8,932,153 and the taxes to $94,952 71. In 1861 the assessor returned but $8,- 390,411 of taxahle property ; the property in Alton, assess- ed at 82341,217 in 1859, decreased in 1861 to $1,794,036, a depreciation of 24 per cent. The taxes levied amounted to $91,270.14.

Results of election in 1858 : Samuel A. Buckmaster, State Senator ; Z. B. Job and Joseph H. Sloss, members of the House ; W. T Brown, sheriff; and James Hand, coroner. Philip B. Fouke, of St. Clair, was elected representative of the 8th congressional district, and re-elected in 1860.

A vote on the introduction of township organization, ordered in consequence of the petition of V. P. Richmond, resulted adversely to township organization.

1859: B. D. Berry assessor and treasurer ; 1860: Cyrus Edwards and Garrett Crownover, members of the House of Representatives ; Julius A. Barnsback, sheriff ;---- Allen, coroner; and T. O. Springer, clerk of the Circuit court. 1861 : M. G. Dale, re-elected county Judge ; Constantine Ril- liet and W. B. Ilundley, associate justices ; Joseph Chap- man, county clerk ; Nelson D. Sweeny, surveyor; W. P. Eaton, school commissioner ; B. D. Berry, treasurer ; Solo- mon Koepfli and Samuel A. Buckmaster, delegates to the constitutional convention.

FOURTHI COUNTY COURT, 1861 TO 1865.

M. G. Dale, county judge ; Constantine Rilliet and W. B. Hundley, associate justices. Mr. Rilliet died in 1862, and was succeeded by Xavier Sutter. He was held in high esteem, and his sudden death was deplored by all who knew him. He was a foreign born citizen of distinction. Mention is made of him in the chapter on European immi- gration. The records of the county, December term 1862, containing the following resolutions, spread upon the record of the county court by its order.

" WHEREAS, It has pleased the Allwise Ruler of the Uni- verse to remove from our midst, since the last meeting of the court, our associate justice, Constantiue Relliet,

Resolved, By the members of the court. that we have re- ceived with deep regret the intelligence of his death ; That we bear our heartfelt testimony to the strict integrity, gentlemanly demeanor and devotion to duty which marked his character ; That we tender to his family and friends the sincere tribute of our sympathy."

The civil war was now raging throughout the United States. Young men and men of families rushed to the field in defense of the integrity of the Union, and it became the duty of the court, to see that the families of our patriotic men were properly provided for. Money had to be raised at once, as the slow process of tax-collecting could not meet the emergency. The court called on E. M. West, G W. Phillips, Joseph Gillespie and John Suppiger as members of a committee to aid in providing fuuds and distributing the same judiciously and economically. Large and larger amounts were needed as time went on, bounties had to be paid in order to fill the ranks thinned out by death on the field of battle, or in the dreaded hospital. Every order of the court to borrow money was immediatly succeeded

by another order to levy a special tax in discharge of temporary debts so created. While many other counties throughout this and other states loaded themselves down with permanent war debts, under which some are groaning to this day, Madison county had raised by taxation funds, amply sufficient to pay off every dollar of its war debt, even before the war had ended ! It was a difficult task, but prudent government and ready tax paying accomplished it.

The war taxes collected in Madison county amounted to $108,292.59. Hon. E. M. West managed the financial part of this work. The moneys were disbursed in support of families of volunteers, in payment of bounties, interest on I'moneys borrowed and other expenses.

Turning to the regular county expenses during the second term of Judge Dale's administration we find them to have been fully met leaving even a surplus, with revenues as fol- lows: 1862, $32,981.18; 1863, $33,409.05; 1864, $35,- 098.22; and in 1865, $37,397 80. It should be borne in mind that the current money of the land had been greatly depreciated, the greenback dollar of 1863, 1854 and 1865 being at times scarcely worth 50 cents in coin. The credit of the county was good and the 8 per cent. county war loan mentioned above was readily taken at par.

The debt of the county was reduced to $35,066.50 in bonds and $10,421.71 in unpaid county orders, as per statement of June, 1864, the balance of revenue of 1863 then in process of collection was stated to have amounted to $25,- 871.43, amply sufficient to redeem the floating debt above mentioned.

Officers elected in 1862: W. H. Underwood, Senator of the 5th district-Madison and St. Clair, Samuel A. Buck- master and William Watkins, representatives of the 16th district (Madison and Bond), W. E. Wheeler, sheriff, and St. W. Gaskill, coroner. William R. Morrison, of Monroe county, was elected member of Congress for the 12th con- gressional district of Illinois.

In 1863: K. G. H. Knowles, surveyor, with D. A. Spauld- ing-who had been county surveyor iu 1823 - as surveyor for the western district, and James B. McMichael, assessor and treasurer.

In 1864 : Julius A. Barnsback and Hiram Dresser, repre- sentatives ; George Ruegger, sheriff; Wm. T. Brown, clerk circuit court, and P. G. Regan, corouer ; Jehu Baker, of St. Clair, was elected member of Congress and re-elected in 1866.

In 1865: Thomas R. Wilson, surveyor ; W. P. Eaton, school-commissioner,* and James B. McMichael, treasurer.

FIFTII COUNTY COURT, 1865 TO 1869.

David Gillespie, county judge, Edmond D. Keirsey and Anthony Suppiger, associates ; C. W. Dimmock, clerk.

The times succeeding the war have always been considered very prosperous, the land was flooded with currency and all expenditures, public and private, increased perceptibly.

* Mr. Eaton resigned in 1867, and was succeeded by W. J. Rose- berry. Roseberry died during his term, and Joseph W. Van Cleve was appointed to fill the vacancy.

173

HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

The tax levies of Madison county were as follows: in 1866, $39,693.96 ; in 1867. $73,599 96; in 1868, $72,709 35, and in 1869, $81,841,32.

These amounts did not suffice to meet the current ex- penses of the county. Temporary loans made at various times to save the county from losses apprehended by a de- preciation of county orders, became a permanent debt. At the end of this administration, December 6, 1869, the in- terest-bearing debt of the county was as follows :

Old interest bearing co. orders of 1843. $ 915 50

Court-house bonds, 1856, balance. 26,3446 35

Bounty bonds of 1865, balance.

4,000 00

*Promissory notes for temporary loans made to meet cur- rent expenses of the county. 22,604 59

*David Gillespie at various times pledged his personal credit to keep county orders at par, which they had never been before and maintained them at par during his ad- ministration. When settling his fiscal agency in 1870, the county was found indebted to David Gillespie to the amount of over $3,000 for moneys advanced by him.

Upper Alton, Rock Road purchase. . $ 4,500 00

Jail bonds issued.

33,000 00

$91,366 44

From which deduct jail bonds turned overto the succeed-

ing administration, leaving the bonded debt. . $91,366 41

Less

33,000 00

Leaving absolute indebtedness $58,366 44

The county had been at very great expense in building bridges and roads. A new jail had to be erected, The order in reference to the building of this jail is as follows : It is ordered by the county court that a new jail be erected at a cost not to exceed the sum of $30,000 on such lot of ground as may be determined by the agent appointed for that pur- pose, due regard being had to the best interest of the county. And it is further ordered by the court that David Gillespie, county judge, be and he is hereby appointed agent for the county to make contract for the purchase of ground to be selected by him for the location of said jail, and also to con- tract for plans, specifications and the building of said jail, and to have a general superintendence in the construction of the same, and have power and authority tomtke all contracts in the building thereof. The said agent to determine the loca- tion of said jail and also the place aud specification for the building and to make all necessary deeds to the county for the ground purchased and to make all necessary contracts and arrangements for raising the necessary funds under an act of the legislature of the state of Illinois, approved February 22d, 1867, authorizing the county court of Madison county to issue $50,000 bonds for the erection of a jail for said county.

During the preceding administration it had become neces- sary to erect proper buildings for the increasing number of helpless paupers. An order of court had, however, provi- ded for the necessary funds for this purpose, which were to be obtained from the sale of swamp lands belonging to Madison county. A few words in reference to these lands will here be in proper place.

County Swamp Lands .- Under acts of Congress, ap- proved September 28, 1850, and June 22, 1852, Madison

county had come in possession of 1480 acres of swamp and overflowed lauds, situated in townships 3-9 and 4-9. M. G. Dale had been appointed agent to sell these lands. From his reports and the county treasurer's statements it appears that 840 acres of this land were sold in 1865 and that the county received a net income of $3498.30 from said sale. $2,040 of this money had been expended in the erection of the county poor house. The balance on hand December 5, to wit, $1458.30, were ordered by the county judge to be ap- plied in the erection of an addition to the county-poor- house. The balance of the swamp lands, to wit, 640 acres, were sold by order of the court in 1873. The amount rea- lized was $1920, so that the whole amount received by the county for the lands in question aggregates $5,418.30. It was thought at the time of this last sale that the county had a claim against the federal government for a larger quantity of land, and the authorities of the county entered into a contract with James A. Dickenson and others to prosecute the claims of the county. This contract, made and signed December 11th, 1873, was subsequently declared null and void by the board of county commissioners, and no steps were taken to investigate the merits of the claim.

Elections in 1866 .- A. W. Metcalf, state senator ; John H. Yager and J. F. Alexander, house of representatives; Joseph G. Robinson, sheriff; and W. B. Wright, coroner. Jehu Baker, of St. Clair, was chosen representative to Con- gress from this district ; F. E. Schell, of St. Clair, member state board of equalization. In 1867 Nelson D. Sweeny and T. W. Long, surveyors; W. J. Roseberry, superinten- dent of schools ; and Thomas II. Kennedy, assessor and treasurer. 1868: Willard C. Flagg, state senator, and Daniel Kerr and Samuel H. Challis, members of the house; L. W. Moore, sheriff; Jonathan Quarton, coroner ; H. II. Kuhlenbeck, clerk of the circuit court, and C. W. Dim- mock, Jr., county clerk to fill vacancy; Irwin B. Randle, member state board of equalization ; aud J. B. Hay of Belle- ville, member of Congress. 1869: Wm. T. Brown, coun- ty judge ; George R. Stocker and Henry C. Gerke, associ- ates ; B. E. Hoffman, county clerk ; John Weaver, school superintendent, and Thomas H. Kennedy, treasurer.

SIXTH COUNTY COURT, 1869 TO 1874.

Wm. T. Brown, judge ; George R. Stocker and Henry C. Gerke, associate justices.

This administration has frequently been critized for its measures of introducing a system of expensive internal im_ provements. The flush times induced the people at first not only to look upon lavish expenditures with indifference, but even to urge the court to make greater and more expensive improvements. Petitions, signed by the heaviest tax payers poured in, asking for the building of bridges, the purchasing of plank roads, the making of rock roads, etc, etc. Incor- porated towns solicited and obtained aid in constructing ex- pensive roads, planked and rocked, leading to and through their incorporated limits. Wheu told by the authorities that there were no funds for such appropriations the answer was almost invariably : " Let future generations help to pay "-a cry so often heard when an incredibly huge na-

174

HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

tional debt was created in an incredibly brief space of time -- there is a plenty of money to be had, go and " borrow!" The very first act of the court was to make a temporary loan.

The expenditures of the first year exceeded the revenue nearly 860,000, although the tax levy of the year 1870, to wit : $86,034.50, was over $4,000 higher than ever before. The people in the southeast part of the county, the frugal and vigilant natives of the Swiss Republic showed signs of uneasiness at this state of affairs as early as December, 1870. They remonstrated in a respectful but deeided manner against the system of creating a large and permanent debt. The signers of the remonstranee were invited to attend eourt, and have an explanation. Louis Vullirt, John Balsiger and C. P. Chipron were the only ones to answer this invita- tion, which had more the appearance of a summons. The re- cords of March 14th, 1871, contain the following entry : " Whereas, a remonstrance has been presented against the action of the county court, and said parties having beeu duly notified, that the same will be heard this day : L. Vul- lirt, John Balsiger and C. P. Chipron, three of the parties appeared in court, and said remonstrance was duly and fully considered, and the court having shown that there were no good reasons for complaint really existing, as said parties iu person and by letter admitted, the said remonstrance is laid on the table indefinitely."

Petitions, numerously signed, praying for a vote on the adoption of township organization, were presented from year to year, but the measure was in each case defeated by large majorities, showing that the court enjoyed the confidence of the people, and that its actions were endorsed. Good roads and safe and substantial bridges were highly appreciated, and the more so, as there was no increase in the tax rate. The values of lands and other property were constantly in- creasing, and the higher prices obtained for all agricultural productions, led many tax payers to forget that those many so-called temporary loans would mature andhave to be met.

Speaking of the constant enhancement of values, it is proper to state that the taxable property of the county was assessed in 1873, as $24,981,571, nearly three times as much as in 1863-to wit: $8,390,411.00.

The lands of the county were assessed at $13,052,816; the town and city property at $5,112,954 ; personal property at $3,407,383; aud railroad property at $3,408,418. The taxes were as follows: State, $89,933.65; county, $137,398. 63; city and town, $77,373.42; distriet school tax, $94,948. 90; road tax, $24 981.57, or $424,636.17 in the aggregate. This was an enormous tax for a population of scarcely 45, 000 inhabitants; $9.00 per capita !

Lavish as were the expenditures in reference to the im- provements, they might still be considered moderate in com- parison with the extravagant panper expenses, which in 1873, reached the enormous amount of $42,000!

The oft repeated orders in reference to borrowing certain limited amounts of money, were now followed by a more dangerous and wholly arbitrary one of December 14, 1872:

" Ordered by the county court, that upon any person pre- senting to W. T. Brown, county judge, who is appointed

agent of the county in the premises, orders of Madison coun- ty, to the amount of five hundred dollars or upwards, the said county judge, as agent of the county, is authorized to issue to the holder of orders, county bonds in lieu thereof, with ten per cent. interest per annum, payable semi-annually, and said bonds to run for such period of time not to exceed ten years, as may be deemed advisable by said agent."

This was a dangerous order. It opened the flood gates to financial ruin ; there was no limit any longer ; millions of dollars might have been borrowed under it. And yet, this " order " was not original with the court. Turning back a few pages in this chapter, to 1843 and 1844, the reader will find a funding order, in substance and bearing the same as the one above. Judge Brown had been county clerk during that period, and some of these funded orders or bonds of 1843, made out by him when clerk, were presented for pay- ment and paid during his administration as judge.

The tax levies during this period were as follows: in 1870, $86,034.50; in 1871, $105,057.00; in 1872, $130, 287.35; and in 1873, 162,380.20. The taxes were not as closely collected as in former years. Some taxpayers fell behind, and these delinquencies, amounting to only $2,302.32, in 1869, reached their height in 1876, when they amounted to $161,104.26 ; $54 691.75 of which, were due to Madison county, as part of the county levies of prior years. In speaking of the county debt and " bewailing " its magni- tude, this item of delinquent taxes has never been mentioned.

The current expenditures of the county, together with acerued interest of county debt amounted in these four years to $776.447.58. The gross receipts from tax levies, grocery licenses, sale of swamp-lands and all other sources amounted to $462.734.51 and $314.231.107 were raised by loans. The interest bearing debt of Madison county, was now-1874 8485.460.17 to wit:

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History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 43

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