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 41

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 41

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for something to follow, we trust, and, like the Washingtonians, Sons of Tem- perance, &c., passed away, to let early ideas crystalize and form higher and en- larged efforts for the progress of truth and right. I cannot close this tribute of respect to the noble brothers and sisters of the order here without congratulation for the good work done and regrets for its close, and assure them of my sincere love and regard for every true patron, and will here record the names of some of the earliest and most active workers in the order: Foremost of them is John Downen, for four years overseer of the Illinois State Grange; William Hunter, James Manley, H. L. Ross, E. N. Hicks, F. F. Myers, R. McClure, M. F. Worley, G. W. Reid, T. C. Kirpatrick, W. M. Kirkpatrick,D.R. Ferster, Milton Knight, L. F. Smith, J. Greene, Squire Logsdon, Job Marshall, G. G. Venard, Thomas Fulkerson, L. B. Mourning, Joseph Sul- livan, Joseph Hindman, Ross Manly, J. W. Swartzbaugh, G. Furchtbar, and many others who have been pillars in the order in this county, and have worked nobly to assist their fellow farmers, re- membering that amid all that is good and beautiful in nature, there is nothing that blooms with such lustre, there is no per- fume on earth fraught with such fra- grance as the flowers of good works and the sweet smelling savor of that pity which feels the wants and relieves the distresses of others.

NATIONAL GRAND ORDER ANTI-HORSE THIEF ASSOCIATION.

In September, 1863, a few citizens of Clark and Scotland counties, Missouri, and one other, from Iowa, met at Luray,

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

Clark county, Missouri, and framed the' first constitution and by-laws and ad- journed to meet at Millport, Knox county, Missouri, in October following, at which time a number of influential citizens of Scotland, Clark, Knox and Lewis coun- ties of Missouri, and also of Lee, Van Buren and Davis counties of Iowa, not more than twenty in all, were present. The constitution and by-laws framed at Luray, were adopted at this meeting; the first election of grand officers of the A. H. T. A. was had, and were as follows: Major David McKee, G. W. P .; William Beach, G. W. V. P .; William Everhart, G. W. S .; Wm. Grant, G. W. T .; H. L. McKee, G. W. M. The meetings of the grand order were held at Memphis, Mis- souri, till October, 1871, when they met at Bonaparte, Iowa; sub-orders repre- sented, 21; membership, 627; October, 1873, at Farmington, Iowa; sub-orders represented, 18; membership, 571. At this meeting Brother George Sansom was elected G. W. P., and served six years without intermission; October, 1875, at New London, Iowa; orders rep- resented, 40; membership, 1,176; Octo- ber, 1876, at LaBelle; orders, 64; mem- bership, 1,932; October, 1877, at Au- gusta, Illinois; 96 orders; membership, 2,370; October, 1878, at Keokuk, Iowa; 113 orders; membership, 2,720; October, 1880, Keokuk; 176 orders; membership, 4,042; October, 1881, Keokuk, Iowa; the order was divided into state grand or- ders, the G. W. P.'s of the several states forming a national grand order which met at Palmyra, Missouri, September 20, 1882.

The Illinois state grand order sprung from the above national grand order, and

has jurisdiction over Michigan, Indiana and all territory south of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi rivers. In Octo- tober, 1881, the grand order, as it then was, had become too large to transact, with the proper dispatch, the business that necessarily came before it. This, with the fact that it was of a necessity too remote from many of the orders, in- deed, it became necessary to change the grand order into district or state grand orders. The first annual session of the Illinois state grand order was held at Bushnell, in October, 1882, with G. W. Hays, of No. 44, G. W. P .; J. C. Mariner, of No. 44, G. W. S .; sub-orders repre- sented, 27. At which meeting the fol- lowing officers were elected:

G. W. P., A. L. Sparks, No. 44, Bush- nell.

G. W. V. P., Wm. Patterson, No. 158, Jacksonville.

G. W. V. P., G. W. Rose, No. 1, So- nora.

G. W. S., L. B. Sperry, No. 124, Bush- nell.

G. W. T., J. C. Cadwalader, No. 44, Bushnell.

. G. W. M., M. W. Green, No. 45, Rush- ville.

G. W. D., Jacob Money, No. 44, Bush- nell.

Delegate, W. C. Carlin, No. 58, Jack- sonville.

The second annual session of the grand order was held in circuit court room, at Jacksonville, October 10, 1883, where the following officers were elected:

A. L. Sparks, No. 44, G. W. P., Bush- nell.

Wm. Patterson, No. 158, G. W. V. P., Jacksonville.

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

L. B. Sperry, No. 124, G. W. S., Bush- nell.

J. C. Cadwalader, No. 44, G. W. T., Bushnell.

S. D. Brown, No. 6, G. W. M., As- sumption.

G. W. Rose, No. 1, G. W. D., Sonora. Sub-orders represented, 32.

The next meeting of the grand order will be on the second Wednesday in Oc- tober, 1885, at 10 o'clock, a. m., at Rush- ville, Schuyler county.

No. 124, A. H. T. A., is located at Sperry's school house, Mound township, McDonough county, Illinois. In 1878- 79, horse thieves, house thieves, tramps, and cut throats got so bold and numer- ous in this vicinity that the law abiding citizens were almost compelled to take the law into their own hands, and mete out summary justice as law abiding men do, when the right authorities fail topro- tect their homes and property. As many as ten or eleven horses were stolen in the immediate neighborhood,. in the space of a year and no one brought to account; houses broken into and women in their daily work, insulted or ordered around at the sweet will of the tramp. Such was the condition of things,- when William Stines, Jacob Daney, D. B. Sperry, H. H. Nance, Milton Shrieves, John Smick, Jacob Zimo, David Doner, J. W. McDonough, Clarke Sperry, R. A. Adams, A. M. Sperry and others banded together and organized, under a state charter, what is now known as Subordi- nate Order No. 124, which now numbers upwards of 50 of the best citizens of

the Mound and adjoining townships, and it is a significant fact that not a single animal has been stolen from any mem- ber since the organization of the order. The order broke into an old nest of thieves for thieving done before the or- der existed, and one of the gang is now serving a four years term at Joliet, and another was pardoned out in 1881. But members of that same gang said they would rather have all the constables of the state after them than a single order of anti-horse thieves, as they never give up or compromise, and so perfect and simple is their organization by means of national grand order, state grand orders and subordinate orders, that within two hours after a theft has been committed, men (honest old farmers) may be put to work, or on the lookout, with full in- structions in almost every township, county and state, in the Union, and it is only a question of time, when it, com- bined with the other detecting associ- ates will make thieves and other law breakers seek other occupations.

The following is a list of the first officers of No. 124: William Stephens, W. P .; Jacob Daney, W. V. P .; H. H. Nance, W. S .; L. B. Sperry, W. F. S .; R. A. Adams, W. T .; E. W. King, W. M .; D. L. Donner, W. D. K.

The officers of the association for 1884-5 are as follows: R. H. Sperry, W. P .; C. E. Sperry, W. V. P .; William Sperry, W. S .; L. B. Sperry, W. F. S .; A. Hoagland, W. T .; P. W. Moore, W. M .; J. W. Emick. W. D. K.

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

CHAPTER XVII.

EDUCATIONAL.

Schools, of some sort, were estab- lished many years ago ; but the eye of history has furnished no lens sufficiently powerful to enable us to determine when or where the first one was located. It appears like a fixed star, which is lost in the nebulæ of mythology, and obscured from our vision in the vista of distance. Schools of astronomy were in operation in Babylon over 3,300 years B. C. An . academy of scribes and philosophers was an existing institution in China a thousand years later. Schools of archi- tecture, astronomy and magic were in operation in the time of Moses, among the Egyptians, and he was educated therein. Schools of philosophy flour- ished in Judea 2,000 years B. C. The schools of Greece date back to the siege of Troy. The first Roman school was a military academy, established 667 years B. C. How these schools were con- ducted, we have but little means of knowing. In many countries they were state institutions for the benefit of the royal court. The magic wise men, sooth- sayers and prophets of those ancient countries were not ignoramuses, es- pecially gifted as many suppose, but were educated men-learned in the knowledge of their age-so as to fit them for royal counsellors. Most of these schools were kept secret from the masses, and as much mystery and won-

der were thrown around their inmates as possible. These were seats of the ora- cles and court prophets, without whose sanction kings rarely commenced or prosecuted any great enterprise. In the more republican nations, teachers gath- ered their students in groves, temples, . market places, porches, or by the sea, and taught them by conversational lec- tures. Books were unknown. The art of printing slumbered in the then dis- tant future. Even letters had not been born out of hieroglyphic characters. Education was confined to the royal reti- nue. The masses were ignorant, and purposely kept so, in order to insure subordination. It was realized many years ago that ignorance only would de- mand and submit to despotism.

After the discoveries of Gallileo, edu- cation made rapid strides toward popu- larization. He being repudiated and persecuted by the royal authorities, he- came the people's educator ; and the progressive ideas by him promulgated, caused America and the Pacific isles to be discovered and settled-brought forth the art of printing, unfolded the pro- testant religion and infused a general spirit of research throughout Europe. After this the graded system began to be' introduced into academies and col- leges; but the common schools received but little benefit therefrom until within

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

the last half century, when Prussia took the lead in the enterprise. A committee appointed by the crown reported that "it was advisable to educate all classes, for the encouragement of piety and religion, in order to lessen the police force of the nation." Public schools were accord- ingly established for all classes. The common people flocked in, and it became necessary to erect new and more com- modious buildings, and to provide an in- creased number of teachers. To meet this demand the graded system was adopted. It was found that where one teacher had but one grade of pupils, he could give instruction to about twice the usual number-be more thorough, and advance them much faster than by the ungraded method.

The German states, Switzerland, Po- land and Massachusetts rapidly changed from the ungraded to graded system, especially in towns. In Switzerland and some other of these European nations, children are required to attend the public schools regularly ; in default of which they are taken from their parents by the state, educated and bound out to learn a trade, or are put into the army. In some of the countries it has been found that the decrease in the cost of criminal prosecutions since education has been popularized, more than defrays the entire expenses of their public schools. In our own country, the his- tory of education has been varied. Mas- sachusetts and Rhode Island established public schools at an early day. In many places it was considered as necessary to build a house for their teacher as for their pastor. Situations were not put up at auction and knocked down to the

lowest bidder, as is done in quite too many cases at the present time; but the most discreet persons were selected and invited to take vacant places. In most of the colonies, no system of public schools were adopted. Here and there a private school, patronized by the rich, were all that could be boasted of. But in those colonies where public schools were sustained, and where education was most generally diffused throughout the masses, there liberty raised its first voice, and there the largest per cent of soldiers volunteered for the revolutionary army. It is a clear proposition that the Ameri- can independence was the outgrowth of schools; yet strange to say, that after our fathers had endured every privation, after the bones of thousands of their sons and brothers had been left to bleed upon the hills and plains, where they fell in battle-when they came to form a con- stitution, they neglected to do anything toward fostering the very cause which gave birth to their desire to become free, and which alone is able to foster, sustain and perpetuate free institutions! Instead of placing the superscription of the liberty they had gained upon their school houses and colleges, which gave it birth, it was placed upon the copper cent! A proposition to establish a national uni- versity was voted down in the constitu- tional convention. .

A naval and military school were es- tablished by the general government soon after the adoption of the constitu- tion, where students are carefully taught the explosive power of gun-powder, and the precise distance a christian can shoot at his follow christian and be sure to hit him, without a waste of ammunition!

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

Only three of the 13 original states made any provision in their first constitution for sustaining education. We must not neglect to mention the fact, that our gen- eral government has not always remained idle upon the subject of education. At the earnest request of our first presi- dents, section 16 of all new states was at length appropriated by congress for a perpetual endowment of public schools; and large grants of swamp lands were donated to many for university and school purposes. Many of the states adopted systems of public schools for the free education of all children of a suitable age. Still, in many other states, no system of free schools has been adopted.

In the early history of our country it was thought sufficient for males to learn to read and write, and for females to learn to read. In 1778, a teacher was driven from Connecticut for teaching girls to write, lest they form runaway matches. The great idea seemed then to enable all classes to read the scrip- tures. But as this country has advanced, as knowledge has increased, it has been found necessary-to increase the sphere of the people's wisdom. It was found · that unless education was made to keep pace with the rapid and ever-expanding progress of the country, vice and crime would keep pace with that progress. The pulpit has been found powerless to effect any permanent reformation in such a country as this, unless the heads of its people be educated as well as their hearts. It was found that the parents, ignorant parents, must be brought to move in this matter; hence legislation has been necessary, and lectures and

publications, and earnest working teach- ers. By the persistent efforts of these agents graded schools have been estab- lished in most of our towns, and to a limited extent in some portions of the country; still, at the present time, it would be easier to establish a mint, or even practical religion, than graded schools in townships of the rural dis- tricts.

Says one of the county superintend- ents of this state, in his report: "In the United States, nearly one person out of .every 5,000, is' annually convicted of ' crime; and among 200 convicts in 1856, only 73 could read or write. Thus while six-sevenths of our adults can read and write, three-fifths of our criminals can do neither. By careful investiga- tion, it is found that of every 21 who can- not read and write, one is convicted of crime, four are received as paupers, seven are habitual drunkards, and the proportion of gamblers, rioters, etc., is still greater; while only one criminal adult out of 214, and but one pauper out of 400, who can read and write is found as an average. By pushing these statis- tics further,it is found that in this state, but a very small per cent. of the children at our state reform school, ever attended school punctually or regularly, if at all. Thus, it will be seen that parents, who allow children to grow up in ignorance, or to attend school at unseasonable hours, and at odd days, when no work or amusement presents itself to keep them at home, are training these children for houses of correction, for jails, for poor houses and for gambler's dens! They are instilling into these youthful minds, unsteady habits, and preparing them for

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

the reception of all sorts of vices, which swarm all portions of the country, like devouring wolves, seeking ever for their unsuspecting and unguarded prey.

Not only is it necessary to establish' public schools, and for parents to cause their children to attend regularly and punctually, but the best and cheapest system of schools should be adopted. The experience of many of the most en- lightened nations show the graded sys- tem to be the cheapest and the best yet devised, and hence ought to be adopted. As many grades as the number of chil- dren in any locality will warrant, is found to be the best and cheapest. In the rural districts, but one grade at pres- ent could be made profitable. Here let schools be established for the primary and intermediate pupils, for eight or nine months in the year. Parents gen- erally are willing to spare children of these grades, and they had better be at school. In most rural districts, the larger ones 'can only be spared from three to five months per year. Let gram- mar schools be established for these, for that number of months during the colder season. One such school to every four or six districts would be found sufficient. The cost would be far less than under the present plan, and pupils would learn much faster. In towns, the graded sys- tem is pretty generally adopted. The following seem to be some of the princi- pal points in its favor: It is the most thorough and rapid system; it promotes the most perfect discipline, hence culti- vates more correct habits in pupils; it permits the selection of teachers pecu- liarly fitted to each grade, which renders it the cheapest system; it adopts a uni-

form system of text-books and course of study; it commands more respect from parents and pupils; it discourages irreg- ular attendance at school; it gathers a larger number of the same grade to- gether and creates more emulation in pupils; it gives more dignity to the pro- fession of teaching: it does more toward preventing crime and immorality, and lays a foundation for usefulness in the after-life of students.

Many persons object to any system of public schools, because they say the child- less rich have to pay taxes to educate the poor man's children. "Let every man educate his own children," they say. Let us see: Government is instituted to protect life, liberty and property-aye, to enhance the value and security of these, and to encourage goodness, virtue and the pursuit of happiness. It has already been shown that ignorance leads to crime and all sorts of vice, under- mines free institutions, puts life in jeopardy, and renders property compar- atively valueless. Now the wealthy man is indebted to the public schools for his wealth; strike these and their effects down, and his wealth would fall. The rich land owned by the Ethiopian or the Apache is nearly valueless, while the sandy hills of Wisconsin and Massachu- setts are worth many dollars per acre; now it is the ignorance of the people that renders the one valueless, and education which renders the other of great value. Should the poor, who toil for their scanty subsistence, pay for the security and the means of rendering valuable the posses- sions of the rich?

The opulent constitute about one-third part of the community-and it has been

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

demonstrated that to educate their chil- dren in select schools would cost as much as to educate all classes in public schools; besides, how can the wealthy expect their children to retain their moral or social purity, unless they are surrounded by a moral community. Would they rather pay the taxes that these poor children may be educated and grow up to be use- ful citizens, or pay the same taxes to aid in prosecuting and punishing criminals, and live in a community of outlaws and vagabonds? In which community would their property be most secure? A cer- tain congregation built a splendid church, with a beautiful spire towering high, and significantly pointing the people to Him, who dwelleth in immensity, and loveth and ruleth the vast . infinity. They adorned it within and without-carpeted its aisles, painted its pews, its sides and its spire --- but felt "unable" to pay for a ten-dollar lightning-rod, which an in- genious inventor offered to construct for them to protect it from the elements; but when the storm-god sent a thunder- bolt down that spire, shattering the struc- ture to its very foundation, they found themselves fully able to expend several hundred dollars in repairs; in like man- ner these persons object paying a two- mill tax that their society may be pro- tected from the inroad of vice, and their property from the thief and the burglar, but are ever ready to pay a ten-dollar tax to prosecute or execute criminals, who have become so for the want of an education, or a moral community to live in. The public then should educate all children at public expense, for the benefit of the public. These children will soon be men and women, will be good or bad

citizens, just in proportion as they are educated or left in ignorance.

The pioneer school houses of McDon- ough county, as was common in all new countries, were built of logs, and in some cases yet stand, rough cradles of learning that many distinguished men recall in the glamour that memory throws around their boyhood's days, as their only alma mater. These days are past and gone, and now, on every hill-top, the white frame school house rears itself, inviting the reluctant youth to follow the road to knowledge.

COMMISSIONERS OF SCHOOL LANDS.

When the county of McDonough was organized, in 1830, the office of superin- tendent of schools had not been, as yet, created. The only officer connected with the schools under the constitution of 1818 was the commissioner of the school lands, who had charge of the funds arising from the sale of the sixteenth sections donated in each congressional township for educational purposes. This officer was appointed by the county commission- ers' court, who were empowered to fix the compensation of the same.

The first one to occupy this position was James Vance, Sr., who was duly ap- pointed by the commissioners, at their meeting held on the first Monday in Sep- tember, 1830. He was reappointed to the same office in September, 1831, and was instructed to loan all the money un- der his control at not less than 12 per cent. He held this office until in the latter part of 1835, when he was called upon to pay the debt of nature. A sketch of him occurs elsewhere, and a repetition here is needless.

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

On the death of Mr. Vance the com- missioners of the county, at a meeting held on the 7th day of December, 1835, appointed Benjamin Naylor to the office of school commissioner. This gentleman held the position for several years. Mr. Naylor was identified with the official life of the county, and was one of its prominent citizens.

Some change in the law, in 1841, al- tered this from an appointive to an elect- ive one, and in the election of that year Isaac Grantham was chosen to fill this office. He held the office for two years. Mr. Grantham having held the more im- portant office of county clerk, is noticed in that connection.

In 1843, Josiah P. Gates was the next to fill the office, which he did but a short time.

In 1844, Charles Chandler was elected by the people of this county to this re- sponsible office, and so well did he fulfill its duties, and to such degree were his efforts appreciated, that he was re-elected in 1845 and 1847, filling the same five years. A sketch of Mr. Chandler occurs in the history of the city of Macomb, further on.

At the election in 1849 J. O. C. Wilson was chosen to fill the office of school commissioner, and in 1851 was re-elected. He served the people in this capacity for four years.

John O. C. Wilson, (deceased), was one of the pioneers of this county, and a prominent citizen of Macomb at an early day. He was born in Philadel- phia, July 12, 1804. When quite young he learned the trade of hatter, and worked at that business in different places. In 1827, ht went to Kentucky

and settled at Lebanon, Marion county, and there followed his trade. In 1833 he came to this county and bought a farm near Macomb, and engaged in farming. The purchase consisted mostly of unimproved land, having on it a small cabin. With characteristic energy he went to work to improve this place, and there lived 18 months. He then rented it for a time and afterward sold it, the purchaser, among other improve- ments, erected a saw mill, but was un- able to make the necessary payments on the land, and it reverted to Mr. Wilson. He meanwhile removed to the town of Macomb, and there a part of the time worked at his trade. The people soon ascertained that Mr. Wilson was the right kind of material for public places of honor and trust, and consequently he was called upon to fill many offices in the gift of the people. He was a num- ber of times elected justice of the peace and school commissioner, and upon the organization of Macomb as a city, was chosen its first mayor. He was thus quite active, and prominent during the earlier days of Macomb. He died March 18, 1880. Mr. Wilson was married May 12, 1829, to Adeline Purdy, a na- tive of Kentucky. By that union there were 10 children, five of whom are now living. Cincinnattus, married to Lucy Lane and living in Macomb; Lizzie A. who was married to O. F. Clark, (now deceased), now living with her mother. Cornelia who was married to Isaac Sell- ers, (deceased), who also lives with her mother. Robert Henry, married to Sal- lie Gray, and living at Lebanon, Ken- tucky; and Samuel P., married to Hen- rietta Ervin, and living in Macomb.

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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 41

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