USA > Illinois > McDonough County > History of McDonough county, Illinois, its cities, towns and villages with early reminiscences, personal incidents and anecdotes and a complete business directory of the county > Part 6
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" Put a Little Sugar in It."-The boys one night got upon a little "lark," and conceived the idea of making everybody else in the town as drunk as themselves, and with that laudable (?) intention they started out. Many, of course, willingly partook of the prof- fered liquors, but one man refused on the ground that he had sworn off. But what cared they for that ? Drink he must. Time and again he refused, until their patience was lost, and closing in on him they threw him down, and as they were in the aet of pour- ing the stuff down his throat, he cried out, " Boys, if you will make me drink, put a little sugar in it."
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
CHIAPTER VII.
1834-38.
From 1834 until 1838 we have nothing of a startling nature to narrate. The Board of County Commissioners held their meet- ings regularly each quarter, with now and then a called meeting, and a number of orders were made with reference to public im- provements. The times were comparatively easy ; new settlers supplying all the money needed to carry on the little trade re- quired by the actual wants of the people. The late and more fashionable customs of society had not yet penetrated these regions, and the bonnet and shawl worn by our mothers were not east aside after the first season's wear, but continued to do service as long as they could be kept whole. Our fathers did not aspire to broadcloth suits nor beaver hats, but were content with home-made jeans and a felt or straw hat.
When the County was organized there was but one public road running through it, and that was the old lead mine road leading from Beardstown to Galena, passing through the county about six miles east of Macomb. Galena, at this time, was one of the most important points in the State. As the County became settled new roads were laid out. More than four-fifths of the entire ex- penses of the county, we believe, during the first fifteen years of its existence, was for this purpose. Roads were not then run upon section lines, as now, but were located as was thought best for the convenience of the people. The broad prairies were supposed to be useless, and would never be settled ; therefore, a road run- ning across them at any angle would hurt no one, and would be a convenience for all. If one had intimated at that time that these prairies would sometime be dotted over with farm houses, barns, school houses and churches, he would have been thought a fit subject for the insane asylum. This, no doubt, seems strange to
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
our younger people and late settlers in the county, but at that time the conclusion arrived at seemed reasonable. In the first place, the question of fuel had to be taken into consideration by the early settlers; coal had not yet been discovered, and, of course wood had to be procured. In the second place, lumber for build- ing purposes was required ; railroads were unknown, and lumber could not easily be imported. For these reasons our fathers set- tled in the timber-or on its borders, where they could obtain material for the erection of their houses, fences for their lands, and fuel for their fires.
The nearest and most convenient route from settlement to settlement was sought for, and surveyors were so instructed to locate roads. To show the difference in distance between points then and now, we state that a finger board long standing just southeast of Macomb read, "To Vermont, 17 miles." It is now impossible to reach the place, via the established roads, in less than twenty-four miles travel. It may be thought that a great saving could have been made to the County by locating the roads as they are now run, but whether this was made whole by the convenience and saving of time to the people then, is a question we are not prepared to discuss.
In the year 1835, the County applied to the State for relief on account of the expense attending the keeping and trial of the McFadden's, who were hung for the murder of John Wilson. We have searched the statutes of the State for the years 1835-6-7, and find no act passed for that purpose, and suppose the request was not granted.
On the eighth day of September, of this year, Ilon. James Vance filed his bond before the County Commissioner's Court for the fourth year, as Commissioner of School Lands. He died after holding the office a little over three months, and was succeeded on the seventh day of December by Benjamin T. Naylor, who retained the position for several years.
In reference to the expense attending the trial of the McFad- den's, we find on the books of the County Commissioner's Court an allowance made to Thomas Hayden, Sheriff of Schuyler County, for the sum of $1 50 "for hanging McFaddens." If all the other expenses attending their trial and conviction had been as reasonable, we can see no reason why the State should grant aid in the case.
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
In the year 1836 occurs the first mention of the letting of paupers to those who would care for them for a consideration. This custom was retained until about the year 1857, when a farm was purchased by the County, and all paupers transferred to it when thought best by the proper officers.
In this year (1836) Wesley Wayland came before the County Commissioner's Court and stated that he had given a certificate of freedom to a certain negro woman whom he had brought with him from Kentucky a few years previous, for the purpose of acting as nurse fto his invalid wife. We believe Mr. Wayland had been taxed on this species of property since 1832, and had reached the conclusion it didn't pay. Elsewhere we have given the order of the County Commissioners instructing the assessment of all such property, which order, we have no doubt, was cheerfully obeyed. The same order was repeated in 1837, but whether any slave was held in the County at that time we can not learn.
The effect of the hard times throughout the United States, be- ginning in 1837, was not felt in this county until the following . year. From that time until about the year 1845, our people ex- perienced greater financial embarrassment than at any time in the previous history of the county. Money was an almost unknown commodity, all business being transacted through the means of trade or barter. A would trade B flour for its value in meal ; B would trade C a yoke of oxen for a horse ; D would trade E a half dozen hogs for a cow, &c. If money enough could be raised to pay the general taxes, a man considered himself fortunate. Many were the straits to which the people were led to make both ends meet, and many laughable incidents are narrated of the crooks and turns that were made-incidents that are laughable to us now, but were serious matters at that time. Notes were given for value received, payable in a cow, or a horse, or other prop- erty, and when the note came due, and collection was to be made, it would sometimes be hard for one party or the other to make proof of it being that which was described in the note. Many notes were held, without attempting to make collection, in the hopes that better times would dawn upon the country, and their makers be able to pay the money. William Hamilton, Esq., of Bushnell, tells us that he gave a note payable in a black cow, valued at a certain sum, which note was not presented for pay-
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGHI COUNTY.
ment until seven or eight years after it was due, its holder trust- ing to receive the money-and he did receive the money.
During these hard times the price of such articles as our peo- ple had to purchase rapidly advanced, while that of what they had to sell as rapidly declined. New Orleans sugar sold at 163 cents per pound ; coffee, 25 cents ; calico, 50 cents per yard ; hogs brought from $1 to $1 25, per hundred pounds, and no market within forty miles of Macomb; wheat 20 cents per bushel, etc. What would our farmers think should such prices rule now ? There would be very few palatial residences and fine outbuildings erected upon their lands within the next ten years.
As an illustration of those terrible times, Richard Pennington, Esq., tells us the following incident in which a man who now ranks as one of the most substantial farmers of New Salem town- ship prominently figures :
"One morning while I was out looking for a yoke of oxen, I met this gentleman whom I will call Mr. X. 'Have you seen anything of my oxen ?' I inquired. No, Richard, I have not; but worse than that, have you seen anything of my cows ?' I replied that I had not. 'Well, Richard, I do not know what I am to do. When I left home my children were crying for something to eat, and it has come to this pass-no cows, no breakfast; no cows, no dinner ; cows, or no cows, no supper.'"
" Talk about hard times," said Mr. P. to us, "when I hear any- body talking about hard times, I feel like narrating the above in- cident, and telling them if it is as. bad as that with them, they may well complain ; otherwise not." We agree with him.
Our nearest market at that time was forty miles away, being Beardstown on the south, and Warsaw on the west. Our mer- chants did but little business in the way of exportation, and what little traffic was had was between the producer here and the ship- per at one or the other of the above points. No " middle men" were employed.
In a general way Ford, in his " History of Illinois," well de- scribes the existing state of things in this county at that time. On pages 96-99 we read as follows :
" Commerce from 1818 to 1830 made but small progress. Steam- boats commenced running the Western waters in 1816, and by the year 1830 there was one or two small ones running on the Illinois
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
river as far up as Peoria, and sometimes further. The old keel- boat navigation had been disused, but as yet there was so little trade as not to call for many steamboats to supply their place. The merchants of the villages, few in number at first, were mere retailers of dry goods and groceries; they purchased and shipped abroad none of the productions of the country, except a few skins, hides and furs, and a little tallow and beeswax. They were sus- tained in this kind of business by the influx of immigrants, whose money being paid out in the country for grain, stock and labor, furnished the means of trade. The merchant himself rarely at- tempted a barter business, and never paid cash for anything but his goods. There was no class of men who devoted themselves to the business of buying and selling, and of making the exchanges ot the productions at home for those of other States and countries. The great majority, in fact nearly all the merchants, were mere blood-suckers, men who, with very little capital, with small stock of goods, and with ideas of business not broader than these rib- bons, nor deeper than these colors, sold for money down, or on credit for cash, which, when received, they send out of the coun- try. Since their time a race of traders and merchants has sprang up who use the money they receive in purchasing the wheat, corn, beef and pork of the farmers, and ship these articles to the East- ern cities.
"Mather, Lamb & Co., late of Chester, in Randolph county, but uow of Springfield, were the first to engage in this business, and they were led to to it by the refusal of the United States Bank, at St. Louis, to grant them the usual facilities of trade. As they could get no accommodation from the bank, they fell upon this course to avoid going to St. Louis to purchase Eastern exchange.
"The money they received being again paid out, remained in the country and the products went forward in its place to pay for stocks of goods. The traders in this way made a profit on their goods which they brought into the State, and another profit on the produce which they sent out of it.
"But, as yet, the merchant generally had neither the capital nor the talent for such a business, and it was not until a more recent period-upon the going down of the United States Bank, the consequent withdrawal of facilities for exchange in money, and the high rates of exchange which came in with local banks of doubtful credit-that they have been very extensively forced into it. When they no longer could get either money for remittances
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
to these eastern creditors, or bills of exchange, except at ruinous rates of premium, they at once saw the advantage of laying out the local currency received for their goods in purchasing the staples of the country and forwarding them in the place of cash. In very early times there were many things to discourage regular commerce. A want of capital ; a want of capacity for the busi- ness; the want of a great surplus of productions, the continual demand for them created by emigrants, and facility of carrying on a small commerce with the money supplied by emigration alone, all stood in the way of regular trade.
"New Orleans, at that time, was our principal market out of the State. It was then but a small city, and shipped but a trifle of the staple articles of Illinois to foreign countries. Such ship- ments as were made to it were intended for the supply of the local market, and here the Illinoians had to compete with Ken- tucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Missouri. Any temporary scarcity in this market was soon supplied, and the most of the time it was completely glutted.
"For want of merchants or others who were to make a business of carrying our staples to market, our farmers undertook to be their own merchants and traders. This practice prevailed exten- sively in the western country. A farmer would produce or get together a quantity of corn, flour, bacon and such articles. He would build a flat-bottomed boat on the shores of some river or large creek, load his wares in it, and, awaiting the rise of water, with a few of his negroes to assist him, would float down to New Orleans. The voyage was long, tedious and expensive. When he arrived there he found himself in a strange city, filled with sharpers ready to take advantage of his necessities. Everybody combined against him to profit by his ignorance of business, want of friends or commercial connections, and nine times out of ten he returned a broken merchant. His journey home was per- formed on foot, through three or four nations of Indians inhabit- ing the western parts of Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. Hle returned to a desolate farm, which had been neglected since he was gone. One erop was lost by absence, and another by tak- ing it to market. This kind of business was persevered in aston- ishingly for several years, to the great injury and utter ruin of a great many people."
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGHI COUNTY.
Ford makes some deductions in reference to the laws of trade, which we commend to all. We read on pages 99-101, the fol- lowing :
"In later times, after the steamboats have taken the place of other specie of navigation, after regular dealers and business men had made their appearance on the theatre of trade, and after New Orleans had become a great city, and a great mart of for- eign commerce, there were still other difficulties to be encountered of a very formidable character. These were the disposition of the people not to sell their produce for the market price and to raise no surplus whatever unless the prices were high. If the trader offered one price the farmer would ask a little more, and more than the trader could afford to give and make a reasonable profit. Let the price be what it might, many would hold on to their commodity a whole year, expecting a rise in the market, and if the price was low they would cease producing. If a farmer had a surplus of corn, wheat, hogs or cattle in the fall season, and could not sell them for the full price demanded, he would keep them until next year, expecting to get more for them. In the mean- time, he would lose more by the natural loss and waste of his property, than he could possibly gain by increased prices next season. I have known whole stacks of wheat and whole fields of corn to rot, or to be drabbled out and wasted to no purpose ; and whole droves of hogs to run wild in the woods so as never to be reclaimed, whilst the owner was saving them for a higher price. He suffered, also, by laying out of the present use of the money, and by being compelled to purchase many necessary arti- cles on a credit, at a higher price than they could be bought for cash. By holding back for a higher price, he suffered loss by the natural waste of his property, by laying out of the use of his money, by losing the many good bargains he could have made with it in the meantime, and by being compelled to purchase dear on credit, and pay a high interest on the debt if not paid when due. In all these ways he lost more than by borrowing money on compound interest, and yet he could never be pursuaded that it was for his advantage to sell as soon as his articles became marketable, and at the market price.
"This practice of holding up property from the market unless the owner can receive more than the market price, still prevails extensively in the southern and some of the eastern parts of the
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
State, and fully accounts for much of the difference in the degree of prosperity which is found there, and in the middle and north- ern part of the State.
"The New England population make it a rule to sell all their marketable property as soon as it becomes fit for market, and at the market price. By this means the farmer avoids the loss and expense of keeping it on hand. He has the present use of its value in money, and makes many good bargains and speculations which could not be made without a little ready money. He avoids buying on credit, or rather paying interest on his debt after it becomes due. Money is more plenty, and the people are enabled to be more punctual in the payment of their debts. The local merchant is enabled to do an active business. He is always sure he can purchase to the extent of his capital, and at rates which will put it in his power to sell at a profit. In this manner the farmer prospers, the local merchant prospers, the miller and manufacturer prosper. Loans grow up rapidly. Employment is furnished for mechanics and laborers.
"By such means our northern people are enabled to build up a country village in three or four years, as large as a county seat in the south of twenty years standing."
The evil effects of holding on for higher prices we have personally noticed many times in our short life. We recall one instance during the time of our late war. When wheat was on the rise, a farmer living near Macomb, had on hand about three thousand bushels, for which he was offered $2 25 per bushel; he refused to sell, stating that he would hold until he could get $3 00 per bushel. Wheat continued to rise in price until $3 00 was reached, when our friend concluded to hold until he could obtain $3 50. Soon it began to decline. It fell to $2 75 ; to $2 50; to $2 25; to $2 00; and still this man would not sell, trusting that it would rally again. But it continued to decline, and he was finally obliged to sell at $1 00 per bushel. So much for not selling at the market priec.
H-5
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
CHAPTER VIII.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Carter's Settlement .- The first settlement made in McDonough county was in the year 1826. Riggs Pennington, with his family, in that year settled on the northeast quarter of section 24, Industry township. To him belongs the honor of being the first to settle in the county. He was immediately followed by William Carter, who settled on section 26, adjoining, and in his honor the first settlement was called Carter's settlement, and by which name it was known for many years after. Next came James Vance, in the same year. Mr. V. settled on the southwest quarter of section 24. Stephen Osborne, Widow Tomberlin, Isaac Fowler and Rev. John Logan were also among the number forming the early set- tlement. Here occurred the first marriage in the county, the second birth, and the first death. The first marriage was that of Mr. John Wilson and Martha R. Vance, who were married on the thirtieth day of October, 1828, by Elder John Logan, a minister of the Baptist Church. The second birth in county, but first in set- tlement, Nancy Carter, a daughter of Thomas Carter, who was born in August, 1828; the second birth was Elizabeth Black Logan, now Mrs. William C. Hainline, daughter of John and Nancy Logan. The first death was a son of Isaac Fowler, who died about the year 1829.
The little band of whites forming Carter's settlement erected in the year 1827 a block house, or log fort, near the residence of William Carter, on section 26. This was a two-story affair, the upper story projecting about four feet over the lower one on all sides. It was built in this way because it would afford more ample protection against being set on fire by the Indians. Where the upper story projected holes were made, through which an Indian could be gently tapped on the head should he come for incendiary
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
purposes. The building was eighteen by twenty feet, with numer- vus port holes for the guns of the inmates. Luckily they had no occasion to use the building for the purpose for which it was erected. The soldiers that passed through this county in 1831-32 to the seat of the Black Hawk war made considerable sport of this building, and of the idea of erecting one two hundred miles from the Indian country. But it should be remembered that the Indians were all around them every spring and fall, and like those of the present day, were a treacherous people. For some time this was the only settlement between Rushville and Rock Island, on the old Galena road.
Job's Settlement .- About the same time that Riggs Pennington and William Carter were forming a settlement in the south part of the county, William Job and a few others moved to the north part near the present town of Blandinsville. To the older resi- dents of the county the name of Job's Settlement is very familiar. Hugh Wilson and family started in 1826 from Schuyler county to go to some place on the Mississippi, near the Des Moines Rapids, and when they arrived near the present village of Webster, Han- cock county, they were met by William Job, William South- ward, and Ephraim Perkins, all brothers-in-law, who had settled in that vicinity a short time previous. Through the solicitude of Mr. Job, Mr. Wilson changed his course and went to the north- west part of this county, and settled upon section 9 of the pres- ent township of Hire, on the farm now owned by James Seybold. IIere he erected a " half-faced camp," being nothing more than a shed with three sides and an open front. Preparing his ground, he planted it, and raised a crop. When his harvest was over he built himself a more substantial house, into which he moved, but only lived therein about two weeks, when a friendly Indian came to his cabin and gave the alarm by stating that a band of hostile Indians was coming that way, and he had better leave. This advice he followed, going to the Des Moines Rapids. Job, Southward and Perkins, who had also settled in the vicinity, went to Morgan county, but returned the following spring. Wil- son never came back.
This Wilson was a pioneer, truly, for he could not endure liv- ing near a wholly civilized community. In 1814 he moved from Tennessee to Indiana. After a few years he went to Kentucky ; thence to Missouri ; thence to Arkansas. From there he desired
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HISTORY OF M'DONOUGH COUNTY.
to emigrate farther south, but his family objecting, he returned to Missouri, from whence he moved to Schuyler county, this State, in 1825. The following year, as related, he settled in this county, in Job's Settlement, and thence pushed on to Iowa. He kept even pace with the Indians, being just far enough in their rear to be out of danger. His wife delighted in being on the move as much as he did, she averring "the food always tasted better when they were moving." Mr. Wilson was the father of John Wilson, of Industry township, and died in Iowa some years ago-as much from grief as of old age, it is said, because he could not influence his sons to go further west as far as the new State- of Colorado. IIe had a decided distaste for living in a town, saying he would as soon go to the penitentiary.
When William Job returned to the county in 1827, he drew around him a goodly number of people, and soon a very flourish- ing settlement was formed. John Vance, Nathaniel Heron, Red- mond Grigsby, Coffman, Bagby and others were among the first.
Pennington's Point .- This was the third settlement found in the. county, the locality still retaining its original name. The Point embraces a little neck of timber in the southwest part of the present township of New Salem, 5 north, 1 west, it being the only timber land in the township. Hon. Cyrus Walker, it is said, gave this distriet its name in honor of Stewart Pennington, although William Pennington is entitled to the honor of being the first settler. The latter gentleman settled at the point in 1828, remaining about three years, moving from there to Spring Creek in the north part of the county. Stewart Pennington was the. second person to settle in the place, Salem Woods the third, and William Osborne the fourth. When Stewart Pennington settled in the place the nearest families were the Smiths', nine miles north ; Barker's, nine miles northeast; Knott's ten miles east, in Fulton county ; thirteen miles southeast was a lonely log cabin ; six miles south were the Vance's, Stevens', and Carter's; while Resin Naylor was on the northwest, near the present town of Macomb.
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