USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer County : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc., gathered from mattter furnished by the Mercer County Historical Society, interviews with old settlers, county, township and other records, and extracts from files of papers, pamphlets, and such other sources as have been available : containing also a short history of Henderson County > Part 26
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center for an eye. The most important thing found in these mounds was a skeleton measuring nine feet in length. The bones taken from the mounds are all well preserved.
All that portion of land extending westward and nearest the river is of the finest quality, but owing to the exposure to overflow and the damp nature of the soil in seasons for planting, is not farmed. It is covered with a heavy growth of tall coarse grass which makes fine pasture for cattle, hundreds of which are grazed upon it annually and hundreds of tons of hay are made and stacked for winter use. The land nearer the bluff is of the finest grade, the soil being from five to ten feet deep, and susceptible of the highest state of cultivation, and in favorable seasons unaccompanied by overflow, has produced more corn per acre than any other land in the country; but in seasons of extreme rainy weather in the northern states, it is subject to overflow, as was too truly the experience in that locality in the spring and fall of 1881. After the farmers had planted their corn and it had grown a foot or more the land began to overflow, and in the course of a few days crops were completely submerged in a vast sea of water extending from the bluff to the Mississippi. Crops of all kinds were completely destroyed. Many cattle, horses and hogs were drowned and those only were saved that could be brought out on flat-boats. The sudden and unexpected appearance of this flood was without a parallel to the oldest inhabitants. The water reached a height equal to that of 1851, soon subsided and disappeared. The inhabitants were at first discour- aged at the prospect for a crop that season, but they went to work replanting their corn hoping to be favored by a long season to mature the second crop ; the second planting germinated and grew and soon looked better than the first. The season of 1881 being unfavorable for corn throughout the state, proved the best in this locality on account of the peculiar adaptability of the soil. The crop raised that season was the best in the county, but when harvest time came and the farmers were about to realize the results of their labor, with corn at sixty cents per bushel, a repetition of what had taken place in the spring ensued ruining the crops and sweeping away horses, cattle, hay and fences. No portion of land could be seen anywhere. Unlike the previous overflow in the spring, the water was slow to pass off and covered the land for two months, during which time, drawn there by the excellent feeding, the wild ducks swarmed in by the thousands, completely stripping the corn that was standing out in the water. Sportsmen came from all parts of the state, the reports of whose guns sounded to the old soldier like a distant skirmish line. It has been estimated that during that season forty thousand dueks were killed and shipped from that place to the large cities.
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
The first early settlers of Eliza, with but few exceptions. came from Indiana and, in most instances, brought their families with them. making the journey through the open prairie and enduring all the hardships incident to the times. There being at that time a few trad- ing places at New Boston, that point was mostly aimed for on account of the freight and commercial advantages it then afforded. Another attraction was the timber along the bluff. The majority of these people having been raised in and adjacent to timber in the former state, looked upon farming without the use of timber as impracticable, and without which they were unable to construct their rude log cabins and fence their farms.
J. H. Witter was the first settler in Eliza township. He came from Indiana to Eliza in the spring of 1833 and settled on Witter's creek, then named for him, but afterward changed to Winter, who was the next man to settle near the same place. Witter did not stay long in Eliza, but sold out and moved to Iowa.
In the fall of that year David Shaunce and family, accompanied by his son, John Shaunce, arrived. They entered the E. { of the S. E. } of Sec. 29, but by mistake settled on a quarter of land in the W. } of the S. W. { of Sec. 29, soon after which William Wilson and John Hill came. Wilson was from Indiana and Hill from Kentucky. Hill took a claim and built the best house then in the township, on the E. of the S. E. { of Sec. 29, which land by right belonged to Shaunce. As soon as the mistake was discovered a difficulty between the parties ensued, causing a bitter enmity in both men. After considerable quarreling over the disputed land, Shaunce sold it to Mr. D. F. Noble on condition that he (Shaunce) should take possession of the place. Shaunce first tried to get Hill off the place by legal process, but failing in that he then undertook it by force, which was the cause of some heavy fist battles in the neighborhood. Hill, however, relin- quished his right to the property by moving off the premises, of which Noble took possession. Hill then bought a piece of land on section 31, where he lived for a short time, and sold out to Samuel Elliott and moved to Iowa. Shannee's name is familiarly remembered by all the old settlers of the present time. His house was the radiating point. A traveler inquiring the way to a place was invariably told that the place inquired for was so far to or from Shaunce's. Shaunce was one of the first grand jurors chosen in the county, and also one of the first parties in a law suit.
In the spring of 1834 Silas Drury and father, accompanied by a cousin, Charles Drury, and J. P. Reynolds, arrived. Silas Drury
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entered a piece of land, where he built a cabin and lived until he sold out to Daniel Noble, when he moved to Rock Island county, town of Drury, which bears his name. He then built a large mill on Copperas creek. familiarly known to all the old settlers as Drury's mill. Mr. Drury's father, Charles Drury, and J. P. Reynolds did not remain long in Illinois, but took passage on board a steamboat at New Boston on their way back to Indiana by way of Cincinnati. Reynolds return- ing the same season lived with Dr. Reynolds until the following spring of 1835, when he was married to Miss Hettie Elliott, formerly from Morgan county, Indiana. This was the first marriage in the township, which event is distinctly remembered from the circumstance that followed. Reynolds died in just four weeks after the wedding day, and was buried in Eliza cemetery. Charles Drury, returning in the fall of 1835, was also married to Miss Nancy Prentice, who died eleven months after. He then moved to Rock Island county and studied medicine with Dr. Reynolds, after which he married Mrs. Eliza McGreer, moved back and practiced medicine throughout the township, living upon what is known as the E. W. Mardock farm. He quit the practice of medicine in 1851 and moved to Oregon.
In the fall of 1834 Jesse Willits and family, also from Indiana, settled on section 32, the place now owned by Frank Willits. Willits was the first probate judge, and one of the first justices of the peace ; also one of the first grand jurors chosen in 1835. He lived on the place where he first settled until the time of his death in 1843. Dr. Mark Willits settled on the same piece of land with Jesse Willits, on section 32, which he sold after living upon the place one year. Dr. Mark Willits was also one of the first grand jurors chosen from the township that year. Dr. Willits was a native of Indiana. Mark Mullen and family arrived late in the fall of that year and settled on section 7, where he built a cabin and small blacksmith shop, near the bluff, which is still standing. Mullen was the first blacksmith in the township, and it is presumed he was not troubled much with compe- tition, as the nearest shop to him was at North Henderson, some thirty miles distant. Mullen lived but a short time on the place where he settled, and selling his place to Samuel Elliott he moved to Iowa. Isaac Dawson and William Jackson came next. Dawson settled on land now the August Schrader place, which he sold to Martin A. Cook in 1851, and moved to Iowa. Both men were from Montgomery county. Indiana. Jackson settled on Pope creek, near Keithsburg. Lewis Noble and family settled on section 32, where he built a house and improved a farm, which he afterward sold, and moved to Decatur county. Iowa.
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The glowing accounts of the then far west sent back by those who had settled here, induced others to follow them, and the next one coming in the spring of 1835 was John Drury and family. They settled on section 35, now known as the A. B. Childs place, on which he lived until the time of his death. Aaron Mannon then bought a piece of land on section 29, which is now owned by Harvey Mills. After Mannon bought the land he returned to Indiana for his family, leaving his son, who had come with him, in charge of the place. During his father's absence he built a house on section 30, which land he had entered soon after his first arrival with his father. His father returning in the following May, settled on section 30, land now owned by W. II. Mills. Abijah Wilson and Allen Wilson came in the summer of 1835; they took up land on section 33, which they after- ward sold. Robert Childers settled on section 16, where he built a cabin, lived a short time, sold out and moved to Iowa. John and William Fisher came in the fall and settled on section 18, the Joseph Bush place. John also bought land in section 23. William settled on the Ira Noble place, at the foot of the bluff. Jesse L. Adams settled on section 19, from which place he moved to section 22, where he now resides. Rezin Pratt came from Indiana to Mercer county in 1836. He first bought in section 30, and subsequently bought land adjoining. He then returned to Indiana the same season for his family. Pratt was the first postmaster in the township and had his office in the house in which he lived. He was also the first justice of the peace.
Daniel Noble and family, accompanied by his son, D. F. Noble, and wife, came soon after Pratt. They rented land the first season of Jessie Willits, and the same year Daniel Noble bought some land from Silas Drury, and at the same time entered on sections 30, 18' and 19. He built a house on the S. E. } of Sec. 30 the same year. D. F. Noble first entered land in sections 31 and 20, which he afterward sold ; he also bought eighty acres in section 29 at the same time, as did David Shaunce, where he first settled. He afterward bought land in section 30, near the bluff, upon which there was a small house, in which he lived until 1881, at which time he built a fine new frame, near the site of the old one. Thomas Morgan, of Montgomery county, Indiana, settled with his family on section 22. on which place he died in 1850. The place is now owned by Martin Bear, and occupied by his son Madrew. The first log cabin built upon the place is still standing in a good state of preservation. Morgan was buried in Eliza cemetery. Samuel Elliott bought the Mark Mullen place in 1836, in section 7. George Moore came in the spring and settled on the S. W. } of Sec. 30, which he sold in the spring to his brother John Moore, who came'
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during the previous winter. Moore started early in the winter to make the journey by boat, accompanied by his wife and a small child. When boarding the boat at Cincinnati he fell through a hatchway and was severely injured. On arriving at Fort Madison they found that they could not proceed farther by boat, owing to the river being frozen over at that point. They left the river at that place and began the balance of the journey on foot, through a wilderness of prairie grass and howling wolves. The sufferings they endured on account of cold and hunger was intense, but after several days painful travel, tired and foot sore they finally arrived at the house of Joseph Glancey, where they stayed during the winter, and in the spring settled in Eliza on land bought of his brother George. John Moore seems to have been exceedingly unlucky, for in the spring of 1839, while in the timber splitting rails, a tree fell upon him crippling him for life. But notwithstanding all the sufferings he had previously endured, he went to work and built a saw-mill on Eliza creek, the first of the kind in the township. £ Martin and Jacob Bear came next. They started from Indiana about April 16, in company with John Thompson, and Abraham Piatt. Thompson and Piatt were from Ohio, and settled in Walnut Grove, in Knox county, Illinois. The Bears' outfit consisted of four yoke of oxen hitched to an old fashioned Virginia road wagon, heavily loaded, in consequence of which the journey was a slow and tedious one. Often the drivers had to unhitch their teams and carry their loads out of a slough on their backs, and often this interesting performance was repeated several times during each days' journey. Many times they would hitch all the oxen to one wagon to pull it through a slough, and when that failed" then the inter- esting process of wading through the mud was resorted to. Mr. Jacob Bear's experience on the occasion as related by him must have been an exceedingly interesting one to him. Among the party there was a small child who was very fond of him, and when not in his company would continually cry for him, and as Mr. Bear's part of the programme was to drive the cattle, he was forced to strap the child to his back, in which manner they made the trip to Illinois together. The party arrived in Mercer county on the evening of May 10, 1836, having been twenty-four days on the road. Arriving at a point two miles below Pope creek. they went into camp for the night, on top of a high bluff. They turned their cattle out to graze, built a fire and began preparations for supper. A heavy storm that had been threatening for a few hours before suddenly broke with great violence upon the party, putting out their fires and carrying away their tents, leaving them to sit all night in a drenching rain. As soon as daylight came, they moved forward to
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Mrs. William Willits', where a breakfast was prepared for them, after which they continued their journey, reaching the place where they settled and still own. George and Isaac Dawson, learning of their arrival in the neighborhood, concluded to frighten them, and accord- ingly prepared their toilets in true Indian style, painted their faces with blood root, and, to give them a more hideous look, they bedaubed their hair with yellow clay, in which style they suddenly rushed upon the emigrant party. It is hardly necessary to add that the scheme had the desired effect upon the party. Martin Bear bought his land of Thomas Morgan, on section 22, upon which he lived until a few years since when he moved to Aledo. Jacob Bear still lives where he first settled, and has at different times since bought other lands adjoining. For the first few years after coming to the country, he lived with his brother Martin. He first broke ten acres the first season, and built a cabin near the site of which he has since built a large frame house. John Glancy settled in Eliza in 1837. He still lives where he first settled, on section 7. He bought the land of Samuel Elliott, and from time to time bought lands adjoining it, and now owns one of the largest farms in the county.
The Indians were plentiful here in the days of the first early settlers. They were peaceful, however, and disposed to trade honorably with the whites. They belonged mostly to Black Hawk's tribe. Black Hawk himself was a frequent visitor to Mr. Silas Drury's cabin, where he was accustomed to stop to enjoy a night's rest on his cabin floor. . Among Black Hawk's tribe was one familiarily known to the old settlers as Slim Jim, who was noted for his cunning, and of whom many good stories are still told by the surviving settlers. Jim lived in the bottoms below the bluff, but was quite fond of lounging about the settlers' cabins, and especially at Mark Mullen's. One day Jim came up out of the bottom and reported to Mullen that he had found a bee tree in the timber below, which, after considerable bartering, he succeeded in buying Jim's right in the tree for one dollar in silver. Then Mullen and Jim started to hunt for the tree, which they found as Jim had stated. Mullen then set to work chopping the tree, which was a large one. Mr. D. F. Noble and John Pratt, being in the neighborhood, on hearing the noise went to where the parties were at work, and offered their assistance for a part of the honey. Thus reinforced the tree soon began to fall, and on its downward course fell against another near by, breaking off a large limb, from the opening of which there fell out upon the snow a comb of honey, about the size of Jim's fist, which he quickly picked up and ate. Upon further examination it was soon found that Jim had got all the honey the tree contained. besides a good
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joke on the parties present and a dollar in silver. Mullen concluded to keep cool about the matter and revenge himself in some other way. He used to keep liquor for sale at his cabin. an article that Jim had a peculiar liking for. One day, not long after the bee-tree transaction, Jim's thirst for fire water became so great as to force him to pawn a fine new blanket to him for a quart of the ardent, which, if he failed to redeem in a specified time, was to be the property of Mullen. When redemption day came around. Jim's cash account being short. he forfeited his right to the blanket. JJim took in the situation at once, but said nothing, and quietly walking away was not seen about the place for many days after, and while the settlers were feeling alarmed lest some evil had befallen him he one day suddenly made his appear- ance, with a large powder horn filled with lead ore, which he took into Mullen's cabin and began to mold bullets from. This excited Mullen's curiosity greatly to know where Jim had found the ore. Upon inquiry Jim pointed across the river, and by signs and gestures conveyed the impression that the place was quite a distance away. Mullen began at once to enter into negotiations with Jim to be conducted to the El Dorado. Mullen wished to start immediately for the place. but Jim, pointing to the ground. told Mullen that the place could not be reached in the winter season, but that they must wait until the grass grew in the spring, so the oxen could graze. This philosophical state- ment satisfied Mullen, and he took Jim and his squaw in the cabin with him, where they both enjoyed Mullen's hospitalities during the winter, but when spring came, and they were nearly ready to start for the promised land. Jim suddenly disappeared, and was not seen again for many years.
MILLS.
The first mill built in the township was by Rezin Pratt and John H. Mannon, about 1837. It was situated just above Daniel Noble's, and was built about 1844, or 1845. This was a grist mill, and disappeared years ago. No other mill has since taken its place, owing to an insuffi- cient body of water of late years to run one. A saw mill, built by Rezin Pratt and E. Esley, stood on the same stream. a little below Mr. Noble's, and was built somewhat later; no remains of it can be seen there now. The mill was a large one and was well patronized at the time. For a long time after this mill ceased running there was no other mill in the township, until about 1864, when a steam saw mill was erected by Jesse Bogart, which, for the want of patronage, did not do much business. A steam grist mill for grinding feed was started on section 16 by J. C. Achison. Before the establishment of the first
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mill in the township, the inhabitants, having then to go as far as North Henderson and Monmouth, one man would generally do the business for several of his neighbors ; he was usually detained from six to ten days, according to the stage of water and the number of persons ahead awaiting their turn. They usually started with a supply of rations and feed for an emergency. The teams quartered about these mills gave the place the appearance of a camp-meeting ground.
The only town of importance in the township was started by Edwin Bishop, who settled there in 1850. Being a blacksmith by trade, he there started a shop on the corners, and the place was then called Bishop's Corners until Mr. Bishop's appointment as postmaster ; the office having formerly been called Eliza, that name was substituted. The place is located near the center of section 16. On or about the year 1876 Dr. Thomas L. Edwards bought a house and moved to the place. where he followed his profession until a few years since, when he retired from practice on account of advanced age, and was succeeded by Dr. Reynolds, who is the only physician in the place. Harrison, son of Edward Bishop, built a large house in the place a few years ago, on the opposite corner from his father's, where he resides and follows the carpenter trade. The next. a building sixteen feet square, was built for a store by Isaiah Bishop in 1876, which was stocked and opened up for the first time on the morning of the annual town meet- ing of that year. His stock consisted of a barrel of kerosene and a few other light goods which he had carried on his back from Muscatine the day before. Not having a large stock, his business at first was slow and perplexing; some of his customers greatly annoyed him by calling for such goods as they knew he did not have on hand. After a careful survey of his stock, one of his customers remarked that his was the only store he ever saw which he felt able to buy out. Remem- bering the old adage. that from small acorns large trees grow, he continued in business, and by careful watching of the wants of his customers, has built up a large trade, and added an addition to his store-room, which is now well stocked with such merchandise as is usually needed by farmers. Before the establishment of this store, the trade of the township was divided between New Boston and Musca- tine, Iowa. The place also contains a jeweler shop and the business is carried on by Mr. Taylor.
Soon after the organization of, and at the September term of the board of supervisors of 1854, on order was made by that body author- izing the issuing of a bond of $100,000 to the capital stock of the Warsaw & Rockford Railroad Company, to be paid in county bonds to run twenty years with interest at six per cent, providing that the bonds
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should not be issued until a sufficient amount of available capital stock was subscribed to build the road ; and providing that the money from the sale of the bonds should be expended within the limits of the county. In 1855 Mr. Hiram Thornton. agent for said company, filed a petition asking a modification of the terms of the bonds, and asking that the bonds be made unconditional and payable on demand of the company or its agents. The question of rescinding the former action was submitted to the voters of the several townships in the spring of 1856. Eliza township cast eight votes for rescinding the former vote, and twenty-eight against.
SPECULATORS.
For a few years after the first settlement here the settlers were greatly annoyed by speculators and land grabbers, in consequence of which they were ever upon the lookout for intruders, who usually appeared in the guise of emigrants seeking homes, therefore all new comers were eved with suspicion. Upon one occasion three strangers were noticed in the neighborhood whose actions aroused the suspicions of Mr. Silas Drury, then sheriff of the county, as to the real nature of their business. After carefully examining several of the best pieces of land in that vicinity, they came to Drury and requested him to show them such lands as had not already been taken, saying that they were seeking places upon which to settle. Supposing that they were land sharks, he took them up on top of the bluff in a thickly timbered place where left them, knowing that they would get lost. Then returning to his cabin he mounted a swift horse and notified his neighbors of the threatening danger. They all met that night at a cabin at the foot of the bluff to determine the best course to pursue in the mat- ter. Believing the parties to be speculators, they began to realize the importance of quick action, and accordingly concluded to gather. all the money in the neighborhood and start Mr. Drury to the land office to buy in their lands for them. Drury left that night in company with a neighbor who was going a part of the way. They took a trail leading through Rock Island county, at which place it was their intention to have staid for the night, at a cabin owned by one Dunlap. On arriving they rode up to the cabin. and looking through a partly open door, saw the same parties whom Mr. Drury had left in the timber but a few hours before. Mr. Drury at once came to the conclusion that the parties were head- ing for the land office, and determined to get ahead of them if possible. Not wishing to proceed farther that night, the man accompanying Drury rode forward to the cabin and called Mr. Dunlap, who, being in sympathy with the settlers, was confidentially told their business. A
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