History of McDonough County, Illinois, together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of the representative citizens, Part 12

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Illinois > McDonough County > History of McDonough County, Illinois, together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of the representative citizens > Part 12

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"The snow fell an average depth of about four feet, and remained on the ground for about three months. All kinds of wild game literally starved to death. Before the snow fell the deer were as fat as could be, and before it passed away they were so poor they were not fit to eat. Wild turkeys would fall from the limbs of trees. The morning after the snow fell my wife was about three hours shoveling it from our cabin. We then lived about one hundred yards from the house lately occupied by Isaac Haines, a little southwest of Macomb. I did not have my corn gathered, and had a good sized family to feed, and had five horses and some cattle. As soon as possible I sent John Wilson, the young man afterwards murdered by McFadden, with the horses to Morgan county to have them kept through the winter. Each day we would have to go out to the field, and where we could see a stalk of corn stand- ing above the snow reach down until he came to the ear, pull it off, gathering enough for the day. There were no mills in the country, and each family would, with a mortar and pestle, pound their corn so as to make bread. A few

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

were fortunate enough to have large graters with which they would grate up the corn. The first thing done each morning would be to build the fire and put on a big pot of water in which the corn would be thrown and boiled awhile, then taken out and grated and made into good, wholesome bread. This, with what game we could get, was what we had to live on during the long winter."

" Several families came to the county that fall, and, of course, had no corn.

All things were then held more than common. Those that had none were welcome to help themselves from their more fortunate neighbors, all that was required of them being that they should gather it themselves. Resin Naylor, better known as "Boss" Naylor, was one of that class, and it was a little amusing to see him go out to the fields, walking for a time on top of the snow, on which a crust was formed, but now and then going through, getting his corn, and come in blowign like a porpoise and sweating dreadfully. But we all managed to live, and had good cause to be thankful it was no worse. The young men and women of this day have little knowledge of what a pioneer life consisted. Away out upon an almost boundless prairie, far from home and kindred, with an opportunity of hearing from them only every few months, it was dreary indeed, but how different it is now! However far the distance, they can be communicated with in a few moments time."

BY HUMPHREY HORRIBIN.

Mr. Horribin, a sturdy Briton who left his island home and came to this country in 1847, emigrated on account

of the overcrowded state of that coun- try, and the little chance there was there of rising above the position of a labor- er for those who happened to be born in the humbler walks of life. Feeling within himself the consciousness of some- thing more than the satisfaction of mere animal wants, he packed up his bag- gage and started for the new world, where he had learned there was room for all, and no place too high for any to reach. After he had been here many years, and had reached a point of ease and competence he returned on a visit to the land of his nativity, and while there had a conversation with a friend of his youth. Mr. Horribin, in giving an ac- count of it, prefaces it with these re- marks; "When I landed in this country I was poor as could be, having but two dollars in my pocket, and no expecta- tions, but by hard work accumulated" some property, being able to spend about a thousand dollars in making two trips to the old home to see the dear old mother. I may have vaunted somewhat about this but my object was to show my poor friends that America was the place for the oppressed and poverty stricken. While there I met with an old friend, a shoemaker, who remarked " If I had all the money that you have spent in going to, and coming from America, it would set me up in business, buy me a stock of leather that would last me as long as I live." " It is evi- dent," I replied, "that I have either money or friends, or I could not do it." He then said "I wish I had gone to America with you, and when you did." I simply relate this fact to demonstrate that I appreciate the blessings of this,

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my adopted home, and to give a correct idea of the difference in the countries in this respect.

REMINISCENCE OF ANDREW H. WALKER. · [Transcribed by his son, Montgomery A. Walker]

The Walker family settled in Pennsyl- vania, but moved from there to Rock- bridge county, Virginia. My father lived about two miles from the Natural Bridge and frequently visited it with persons who were anxious to see the great curiosity. From there he removed to Kentucky, as did nearly all of his brothers, and settled in Adair county, in early times. The Indians had removed from there, but occasionally we would be excited by news of Indian depredations on the borders of the state. Some of the Walkers' went to Tennessee, and settled there. Some went to Ohio and Indiana, and many of the young generation. to Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. ] went to school which would be kept one term of three months in a year. When about 12 years old I went to school in Columbia, Adair county, to learn the Latin language, after which I went into Green county to school and continued to study Latin. I boarded at my Uncle Andy McMahans. After that I again went to a school in Columbia, kept by Thomas Cheek and with him read Latin and some in the Greek Testament. I then went to John Sutton to study Euclid's elements of geometry and sur- veying. I lived at home and went to his school in the country. After that I re- mained awhile at home and helped brother Abner about his farm work. After I was grown I went to study law

in Columbia, at brother Cyrus' law office, and boarded with him. On obtaining my law license, I went home and worked around the farm until our family deter- nined to leave Kentucky and come to Illinois.

Abner had been out to look at Illinois and spoke very highly of it as a state. Sanders W. Campbell determined to move to Illinois, and our family united with him and hired Alexander Walker, who had come back from Illinois where he lived, to move his brother-in-law out to that state, but his brother-in-law had made other arrangements, and his team was not wanted, so Sanders and me loaded our effects in Alexander's wagon and started to move to Illinois, in Sep- tember, 1830, and were nearly a month on the road. Alexander landed us at his house, in the Irish Grove, Sangamon county, where we emptied our goods out of his wagon on the day after we landed, into an unfinished school house, where we staid befogged with smoke. Had to go eight miles to a horse mill and get a little corn meal to live on. We found that the ague prevailed extensively over the county and numbers of persons were moving away from the state on account of sickness. We staid about ten days in Irish Grove, and then moved to Clarey's Grove, where we lived that winter, and rented ground in the spring from James White, on whose farm Sanders built a house to live in. We lived in a little cabin close by. During the last days of December there fell a deep snow, about three feet, and which lay all winter. I had gone down on Indian creek, in Mor- gan county, where brother Abner had moved and settled, and got a school made

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

up but did not teach more than a week until the snow fell which put a stop to the school for the time. I staid two or three weeks with Abner, waiting for the snow to settle, and finally we made a company to go to Clarey's Grove. We toiled nearly all day through the snow to get to that place, and were glad to get through the same day. We had to take our turns in breaking the road, each one leading awhile and then dropping back and let another go ahead. During that winter we had hard times gathering corn out of the fields to feed on, hauling wood and getting grinding at the horse mills, while the river mill on Sangamon river, at New Salem, was frozen up, and the roads snowed over deeply. Even beasts of the forest and fowls of the air had hard scuffling to live and got quite poor. Some people run down deer with dogs and horses, but when killed they were too poor to eat. Rabbits barked the sumach bushes as high above the snow as they could reach. People made jumper sleighs, toward the last of winter and went to mill in companies. About the 8th of March, 1831, we got sight of the ground on the high knoll in the prairie. Early the previous fall a snow fell that was about eight or ten inches deep, and we gathered corn while it was on the ground. That fall was warm and continued so almost up to December. In the spring of 1831, people had trouble to get seed corn that would grow, and we made two trips to Indian Creek to get some. After we got our corn planted, Sanders and I came over to McDonough county, to look for places to settle upon, but found none. After harvest we came again and I bought an improvement, or

claim, on Camp creek six miles south of Macomb, to which we moved in the fall. That winter was very cold; the ice froze on the creek a foot or more thick and the prairie was iced over. I went back to Clarey's Grove and packed over some meat on my horse for our winter's pro- vision. We lived in a log cabin, not hewed and not well finished. The chim- ney had mud jambs and a sod or stick funnel. On the night of the 27th of Sep- tember we had a severe frost. The corn was so badly frozen that it looked yellow, and you could smell it as you rode by the fields. 'October 4, 1831, we had a snow fall four inches deep.

I bought an improvement of Wesley Moore, on the south side of Camp creek, below the McKamy farm, and .moved to it in the spring of 1832. Sanders moved at the same time and settled on the west half of the same quarter. We rented ground, and had difficulty to get good seed corn, on account of the cold- ness of the spring and frosted corn. We had to go to Beardstown and buy seed corn that was shipped from Kentucky, and planted our corn all over again. We also went over to Morgan county to get seed wheat. The latter did very well, as did stock of all kinds. Money was very scarce, aud we had but little to' market, yet taxes were very low and lux- uries not necessary, and we got along with as little worry and discontent as people commonly undergo. Quintus Walker married Mahala Campbell, on Camp creek, on the 4th day of August, 1833.

After a year or so Cyrus and Gilmer Walker and Dr. Hays moved to Camp creek. Gilmer settled and lived a while

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

on Grindstone creek. From there he moved to a farm on the north side of Camp creek, and from there he moved to his farm in Walnut Grove township. I married Jane Campbell, on .Camp . creek, March 20, 1834. Brother Abner had previously moved from Morgan county, and had settled in the Bacon prairie, below Macomb, but from there he moved to Camp creek and built Cyrus a house on that stream. From there he removed to section 16, Macomb township, where he united with George Miller in building a mill, a short dis- tance southeast from his place. While he was living there, Gilmer moved up to Walnut Grove, and shortly after we moved and settled on section 16, of the same township, The county all around us was open and unsettled, and game ranged over the prairie in gangs and flocks. We had good wood to burn and prairie grass to mow on our extensive prairies. Prairie chickens were abund- ant, as were also wolves. Wild fruits were also plentiful. Sometimes we attended camp meetings eighteen or twenty miles away.

Quintus built a log cabin, in 1838, on the northeast quarter of section 16, Walnut Grove township, and Alexander Campbell built a log cabin on the north- west quarter of section 16. His son, John, built a cabin on the southwest quarter of section 16, and I built one on the southeast quarter of the same section, but when the sale of the section came off, the east half of the southeast quarter was struck off to a higher bid- der, so I lost it. The neighbors tore down my cabin, and helped me to move

and raise it on the west half of the northeast quarter of the section. In a few years after we moved on to the section.

Uncle David Campbell and Robert Perry moved from Tennessee to our section. Uncle David stayed two or three years, and then went back to Ten- nessee. Uncle Robert died of erysip- elas. His wife, Aunt Peggy, moved back to Tennessee. Mr. Bishop settled west of us, six or seven years after we moved on the section. The Mormon war broke out and I went, at the call for the militia, to Carthage, and remained a few days and came home. It was awfully wet that season, 1844. John and David Campbell married Mr. Bridges' daughters, and Mary Ann Campbell married John Bishop. Abner Walker moved and settled in the Linn Grove about this time.

Our peaceful and quiet time was interrupted by the appearance of a malignant fever among us, in the fall of 1845, which removed by death Alex- ander Campbell, on the 17th of October, and my wife, Jane, on the 29th of the same month. In the fall of 1846, nearly everyone around us had the chills, but there were but few deaths. Not long after, Frost Combs, who had moved for the second time from Kentucky to this state, and who had settled on section 16, close to us, lost his son, Jesse, by congestive chills, and in a year or so moved back to Kentucky, where he lived a few years, when he moved to Kansas territory, where he afterward died. We continued to live on at a slow-jogging gait and plain way, improving our farms by little and little. Produce was low;

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people hauled their wheat to the river mostly and sold it at low prices. We built school houses and started schools, although money was very scarce.

After a good deal of speaking and subscribing a railroad was built, and then there was a rise in lands and produce, and the county rapidly filled up with new settlers. Taxes and expen- ditures increased, and fashion and ex- travagance grew upon us. The people were much in debt, and, to crown all, the banks were unstable and smashing up

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY. [Thomas Fulkerson.]

The earth was covered with a heavy coat of grass of the blue stem variety, often eight and ten feet high. In the spring it was interspersed with flowers of every hue. The earth was mostly wet or marshy, and ponds of water were numerous, owing to the absence of drains, for a continuous sod prevailed about all over the land, so the roots ob- structed the flow of water, and the high grass shaded the earth. Few roads, and grass often growing between the tracks of the wheels.

Wild game abounded on every hand; deer were often see in herds of 15 or 20. They seemed to be very happy, often playing and frolicing near to civiliza- tion, and instances have been known where some old buck has contested the right of way with man, sometimes prov- ing victorious. Wolves seemed inclined to court the acquaintance of man, or more especially of his pigs and sheep. Ring hunts were often resorted to for

their special benefit. Every one for miles around starting for a common cen- tre, making all the noise possible, aim- ing to enclose all game in the circle. Language fails me to paint the scenes of excited man and beast as the ring was nearly closed; the beast to escape and man to destroy them.

The scream of the panther was of common occurrence, whilst lynxes, foxes, catamounts, etc., were aiming to remain permanent citizens of our country.

Faint hearted would be the old settler who could not recount numerous adven- tures, hair breadth escapes, in which he was the principal hero.

Snakes seemed to contest every foot of territory with man. The big timber, or yellow rattlesnake, the prairie rattle- snake, blue racer and many other kinds seemed to flourish grandly. Snake dens were a familiar sight.

Wild geese, cranes and ducks, filled our ponds and lakes in the spring of the year. The noise made by them could be heard for miles around and when they were alarmed, take flight and almost ob- scure the sun from vision.

Fires ran over the country, every spring and fall.

Every one belonged to the fire bri- gade, for it was no respecter of persons or places, as grass or leaves grew every- where and roads afforded no barrier to it, so it went out only when it had noth- ing more to burn or was surrounded. The man or woman be who would not fight for such a cause was considered too cowardly to exist.

The pioneers were mostly of limited means and had to move slowly. Houses to build, farms to make, their dress was

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

mostly homespun, for store clothes were a rarity. They farmed on a primitive style, using barshare and cory plows, and other tools of similiar grade. ,

They patronized the water mill, the horse mill-the hand mill-the mortar -the grater-and when these failed they took a trip to the river for their bread- stuff, yet they lived well, mostly-often delicacies on their table, such as game, maple syrup, honey, etc.

Among the prominent features of these times was the chills and fever, or ague, as it was called. Often three quarters of the inhabitants were its vic- tims and such woe-begone visaged, hol- low-chested looking set of folks were hardly ever seen; yet few deaths were caused by this disease.

The above state of affairs existed for many years, for we had no home market, no railroad, telegraph, etc., and but lit- tle capital to subdue our wild lands and build our future homes.

[By Isaac Opp.]

In the spring of 1842, I left Stephen- son county, Illinois, where I had been living, and desiring to see my sister who resided at Cuba, Fulton county, I took passage with four Mormons, who had built a flat boat, and were going to Nauvoo. This was on the Pecatonica river. We had to float all the way, hav- ing no way of propelling our craft. Our route was down the Pecatonica to Rock river, thence down to the Mississippi and by. the "Father of waters," reach Nauvoo, which we finally reached. I remained here about two days, viewing the temple and other curiosities. I then shouldered my knapsack and accouter- ments and started for Carthage, a foot,

there being no conveyance. This was 21 miles away, without a house or fence between, and as my route lay inland away from any streams I suffered severely for water, and even got down and drank out of a cow track, it having rained the night before. When I reached Carthage, my feet were past going any further, and there being no conveyance from there to Macomb, until Monday of the next week, when there was to be an extra coach put on, to bring Supreme Judge Stephen A. Douglas, and three lawyers to Macomb, I remained and came with them. I remained all night with the Judge and lawyers in the "Baldy" Clarke hotel, that was then on the west side of the square. The next morning I hired a team and man to carry me to Bernadotte, by way of Pennington's Point and Table Grove, crossing Camp creek at the head of Pennington's Point. There was nei- ther house or fence across the prairie to Table Grove, and only one in the grove, and that was occupied by James Spicer. From Bernadotte I walked 10 miles north to Centerville, now called Cuba, where I remained two weeks, then started home to Stephenson county, via Peoria, Northampton, Indian Town, Princeton, French Grove, to Dixon. We arrived at the latter place at 11 P. M., this being the terminous of the stage route, and it having snowed all day and part of the night, I staid at the hotel till morning, when I contin- ued my journey on foot. I crossed Rock river and went north to Buffalo Grove, which was 11 miles distant, there being two houses in the grove and none between Dixon and there, and scarcely

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any road. There was no road from the Grove to Freeport where I had to go to get home. The inhabitants directed me as well as they could to that point, it be- ing 25 miles from Buffalo Grove, there was neither house, fence nor water course to guide my steps, and no road except an Indian trail. This I took but when only half way, the shades of night began to hover around me in which I began to wander until I come to a wagon road leading east and west, which I af- terward found led to Rockford and Cherry Grove. I took this road think- ing I would soon come to some house or grove, but I did not, when at last being overcome with hunger, thirst and weari- ness, I began making preparations for a night on the prairie. The grass was all burned off at this place except a little in the middle of the road. This I gath- ered together as well as I could and made me a bed. The wind blew-so cold that I could not sleep, so I got up and went on as long as I could stand this, I kept repeating, always keeping near the road so that if I should die some one might find me. The wolves were howling most hideously on all sides In passing on I came to where the grass was not burned. Here, had I been prepared with matches as a traveler should be, I might have built fire enough to have kept warm, but I commenced to make me a bed of grass in which I lay till morning, when I awoke and found that my feet and hands were frozen (the nails afterward came off). When I awoke there were three deer within a few rods of me. When they saw me they soon took flight and were soon out of sight. From here I could see a

grove a few miles distant, and to this I made my way as fast as circumstances would allow. On reaching this point I saw a house still farther ou, and to this I made my way where I was kindly wel- comed. Here, after partaking of a good breakfast and a sound sleep, resumed . my journey, having sufficiently recov- ered, and in my wandering during the night had not gone any out of my way for I had now only eight miles to go to the Pecatonica river, which I waded, the distance from the river, home, was only_ one-half mile, but when I got there my clothes were frozen stiff. Indians at that time were plenty, but they were friendly.

I remained here for about two years, when I made up my mind to come to McDonough county, and started, this time walking to Galena, and there tak- ing passage in a boat named the Old Brazil, for Burlington, where I remained over night, visiting friends. From there I came to Macomb in a hack, and from there I walked across the prairie and into the edge of Fulton county to my brother-in-law's, Jacob Ritters, where I remained till May 3rd 1846.

At the request of many of the old settlers, the following reminiscences are taken from the history of McDonough county, written by S. J. Clarke some years ago, as they wish them preserved.

RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN WILSON.

Until 1848, when I was married, I cannot say that I ever had a home, On the thirtieth day of October, 1828, I was married to Martha R. Vance by Elder John Logan, with whom I yet live.

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When I commenced farming I had one horse and three cows. The first year I broke my land with a Barshire plow, a wooden affair. I borrowed a wagon from William Moore, who was just. from Georgia. He went crazy soon afterward and was taken back by his friends. After this I made a wagon myself en- tirely of wood, the wheels of which were made solid and hewed out of a large tree. There being no iron about it, I had to keep it well soaped to keep it from being set on fire by the friction. I now had three calves, two of which I yoked together, and the third harnessed and used as a leader. With them I done my plowing, and hitched them to my wagon and done all my hauling of wood and rails, they being able to draw ten or twelve rails to the load. This wooden wagon we used for several years, going to mill with it and doing all my hauling.

What little education I have, I got after we were married. Got a United States spelling-book and a primer, and at night, while my wife was spinning, would throw a quantity of brush upon the fire, having first placed in the fire- place a large back-log, and lying down on the floor, by the light given, would study. Would do this after having worked hard all day mauling rails and other work. In this way I soon mastered my speller and primer and then took up the bible, reading it through twice, when I thought myself able to read anything. By the same course of study I obtained a little knowledge of geography and arithmetic.

Game was very abundant in the early times, and wild animals were not uncom- mon, such as wolf, wildcat, fox, lynx,

badgers, and even the black bear. Deer were very plentiful. The strength and' powers of endurance of this animal are wonderful indeed. I once shot and crip- pled one, when the dogs attacked it and fought it a long time, until I got in an- other shot, when it jumped about twenty feet away from the dogs that were hold- ing it, and fell dead. One morning I heard my dogs barking and went to see what was the matter, when I discovered they were chasing a little fawn. Caught it and carried it in my arms to the house, where it grew up as a pet. One day some strange dogs came around, and, frightening it, caused it to break one of its legs. I tied it down for the purpose of fix- ing it, when it endeavored to get away. At last it gave a powerful leap and actually pulled itself in two, thus killing itself.

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History of McDonough County, Illinois, together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of the representative citizens, Part 12

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1150

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1150