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 53
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His family consists of himself, wife, daughter Olive and son Edward. To the daughter he has given every educational advantage, and she is a graduate of Monticello seminary. Her musical talent is of a superior order and she ranks among the best in Aledo as a pianist and vocalist.
Upon the organization of the Farmers' Bank. Capt. L. B. Morey was associated with Mr. Byers in its management for the first two years, when, finding the business too confining, he retired. Capt. Morey was ahnost raised in Mercer county. He served with distinction during the war as a lieutenant in company A. 37th reg. Ill. Vol. Inf .. rising to the rank of captain. He was for a long time on the staff of Gen. F. J. Herron, during his operations in Arkansas and
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Louisiana. He is still a resident of Aledo, and, in company with . Martin Boyd, is engaged extensively in farming and stock raising.
On the retirement of Capt. Morey from the bank, Mr. William N. Graham was engaged as cashier, a position in which he is now serving his fifth year, during all of which time he has faithfully discharged his duties. Mr. Graham came to Aledo over twenty years ago, engaged in the plastering business for awhile with his brother H. P., taught school, clerked for Poage & Senter and Harvey Senter, was in the dry goods business with his brother George P. for awhile, with J. S. Pax- ton in the grocery business, and served one term as county treasurer, prior to entering the bank. He has always proven himself a good business man.
Such is a brief history of the banking business in Aledo, so far as Mr. Byers has been connected with it. The Farmers' Bank is on a sound financial basis, has an ample capital, and is backed by men of wealth and influence. It is an institution that has added largely to the growth and prosperity of Aledo, and deserves what it has ever re- ceived, the support and patronage of the citizens of our county.
The Aledo Bank is also one of the solid institutions of the county. Mr. John McKinney, Sr., bought the interest of A. M. Byers in April of 1874, and the firm name became Mckinney, Gilmore & Co., the "Co." being L. C. Gilmore, son of the judge. This firm continned until April of the present year, when Mr. Mckinney purchased the interest of the Gilmores, and associated with himself his son James, under the name of Mckinney & Co. Mr. John E. Gilmore, who was for some years in the employ of the old firm, still occupies the teller's desk. The bank has an ample capital to meet all demands of its patrons.
Mr. John Mckinney, Sr., was one of the early business men of Oquawka, where he for many years conducted a large and eminently successful dry goods business. Tiring of this he retired, and for a number of years did a large business in loaning money in that place and vicinity. When he entered the Aledo Bank he purchased the fine residence of Judge John S. Thompson, and has transacted an extensive business in the way of loans, in addition to the regular banking busi- ness, having much more capital at his command than could be profit- ably used in the latter.
In 1881 he erected a large brick building adjoining the bank prop- erty and known as Mckinney block. It is one of the best arranged and most commodious business blocks in town, and the only one hav- ing a plate-glass front. One room is occupied by J. H. Ramsey with his fine jewelry stock, and O. A. Wallen with boots and shoes. The
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other is used for the postoffice, having been built and arranged for that special purpose. The boxes, general delivery, etc., are equal to those found in large cities, and when fully completed the Aledo post- office will be one of the best and most conveniently arranged of any in Western Illinois. John McKinney, Jr., is postmaster, and John, senior, takes a pardonable pride in making the room a credit to the owner and to the village. The upper floor of the building is divided into commodious aud well arranged office rooms. Mr. Mckinney has recently purchased the property adjoining the bank building on the southi, and contemplates building a substantial brick building thereon at an early day.
The Aledo Bank enjoys the confidence and receives the patronage of the community at large, and is known to stand A 1 in the large commercial centers. Its business is large and renumerative, and it reflects credit and adds dignity and standing to the town whose name it bears. James McKinney, the junior member of the firm, has for a number of years assisted his father in his loan and real estate business, and is well qualified, by education and training, for the position of cashier, which he now fills. Archie Mckinney, a younger brother, has taken his place in the loan department. The latter is a young man of fine attainments, having received a thorough college training, and graduated with honor. He read law with the firm of Pepper & Wil- son, and was last year admitted to the bar. He has spent several months in Chicago where he expected to remain until recalled to take his present position. John E. Gilmore is a grandson of Judge E. Gil- more, and since the death of his father, some years ago, made his home with his grandparents. He has received a liberal education, and has a thorough business training in the bank in which he is now engaged, and his connection therewith cannot fail to prove advantage- ons to the business. The safe used is one of the best manufactured ; is made of five plates of solid steel, with solid corners, built from the outside inward, and is fire as well as burglar proof. It is provided with the Yale time lock, and the most approved combination locks on inner and outer doors. It weighs three tons, and stands in a fire proof vault of rock and brick. With its large capital, and such perfect vault and safe, unlimited security is offered to depositors. The safe is as good as any in the state, and its equal cannot perhaps be found outside of Chicago. L. C. Gilmore is also still connected with the bank. Few towns in our state can boast of two such banks, and the fact that there is business enough for both speaks well for the wealth and business enterprise of Aledo and Mercer county.
Summing all up, Aledo well deserves the good name it bears among
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all who know of the business enterprise of her citizens. The latter are enterprising, progressive and public spirited in an unusual degree. Her business houses are mostly of brick ; large and well filled with inviting and salable goods. She can boast of more and better side- walks than any village of the same size in the state; indeed, some of the cities will not compare favorably with her in this regard. Her churches are numerous, large and well attended. Her public schools are among the best in the state. Her streets are well lighted and well kept. There are an unusually large number of fine residences and comfortable homes. She is surrounded by a wealthy and prosperous farming community, and lies in the center of as rich and productive a section as can anywhere be found. While her past has been one o steady advancement, her future is promising ; there is scarcely a possi- bility, and no probability of a loss of prestige, or a decline in wealth, prosperity or business enterprise.
[For the compilation of the above sketch of Mercer township we are indebted to L. B. Doughty, Esq .- ED.]
THE ALEDO WEEKLY RECORD.
Intimately associated with the history of Aledo is that of the " Record," established in 1857, the initial number appearing on July 14 of that year, by James H. Reed and Horace Bigelow, under the firm name of Reed & Bigelow. These gentlemen had been publishing the Oquawka " Plain Dealer," but had sold the office in May, 1857, to Magie & Mitchell. The material for the "Record " office was pur- chased in Chicago, shipped to Rock Island by rail, and thence trans- ported to Aledo on wagons.
Established during the heat of the canvass for the removal of the county seat from Keithsburg to Aledo, the " Record " heartily espoused the cause of its native town, and though the time was short, contrib- uted much toward insuring the success which in August crowned the efforts of those interested in the removal.
J. H. Reed was a man of good education, a vigorous and aggres- sive writer, quick and keen at repartee, and an editor of rare ability ; a good friend, but an untiring and relentless enemy in political con- tests. He was a man of fair business qualifications, but was not a practical printer. He died in Monmouth, Illinois.
Horace Bigelow served an apprenticeship at the printer's trade in the office of the Oquawka "Spectator," under Col. J. B. Patterson. In March, 1855, he purchased a one-half interest in the Oquawka "Plain Dealer," of F. A. Dallam, and was probably at that time the youngest publisher in the state, being but twenty years of age. Dal-
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lam subsequently sold to Reed, and when the firm sold the office Mr. B. spent some time in the large job printing establishment of S. P. Rounds, in Chicago, increasing his knowledge of that branch of the art. He has the reputation of being a first-class business man, and has by honest industry and energy, and careful and judicious manage- ment, secured for himself and family a good home and a fair compe- tence, owning a fine farm of 150 acres north of Aledo. adjoining the corporation, upon which he resides and which he works to advantage and profit, independent of his interest in the "Record " office.
In June, 1857, the material arrived and the office was opened in a large double building on College avenue, almost directly opposite the building now occupied. The other half of the building was occupied by Dr. S. Macy, as a dental room and drug-store, who afterward pur- chased and remodeled the building only to lose it by fire. A much better building now stands on the old site.
September 1, 1862, Mr. Reed retired from the firm, Mr. Bigelow purchasing his interest. He conducted the business alone for four years, employing Mr. John Porter as both typo and editor. Septem- ber 1, 1866, Mr. Porter purchased a one-half interest, and the firm has since been known as Porter & Bigelow.
John Porter, who has been political editor of the "Record" for twenty years, is perhaps one of the best read men, so far as the political history of our nation is concerned, to be found in western Illinois. His life has been almost passed in a printing office, he commencing to learn the trade January 4, 1834, in the office of the Richmond "Ex- aminer," in Jefferson county, Ohio, and he has stood at the case during all of these forty-eight years. He has always been a close student of political history, and possessing a memory which is almost phenone- nal, he can readily call to mind men, measures and dates of the long ago which to others are but dim scraps of forgotten history. A forci- ble writer, a wary, but not aggressive antagonist, he seeks no quarrel, but when assailed he patiently awaits his opportunity and then deals a strong and generally successful blow.
Established as a republican paper, when the republican party was in its infancy, the "Record" has remained ever loyal to the principles of the party, and has taken an active part in every campaign, whether national, state or county, and its utterences have been of no uncertain sound. It was one of the first newspapers to suggest the name of Abraham Lincoln as a candidate for the presidency, and one of his most earnest supporters, not only during the canvass, but throughout his administration, and also for his re-election. During the war it was loyal to the core, and its columns were the popular medium of
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communication between the Mercer boys in the army and their friends at home, it having a correspondent in nearly every regiment in which the county was represented.
But while striking valiant blows for the union and for the cause of its party, it has kept itself singularly clear of what is termed "mnd slinging;" the rule having ever been to make no charges against opposing candidates that were not easily susceptible of proof, or at least believed to be so at the time of publication.
Another rule of the office, and one strictly adhered to, is that no foreign advertising will be received for less than home patrons are charged for same time and space. Consequently but few "patent medicine" advertisements, and others of like nature have ever appeared in its columns.
In 1873, L. B. Doughty was employed in the office as foreman and job printer, but having had considerable experience as a local writer, he was soon relieved of most of the work in the composing room, and for the past eight years has had charge of the local department of the paper, which has constantly grown in popularity, and has been one cause of a steady increase on the subscription list, which has reached the comfortable figure of 1.300 weekly, and is still growing.
The job department of the office is deservedly popular, and is lib- erally patronized, especially in the line of commercial work. The cir- culation having grown beyond the capacity of the press which has done faithful duty for the past twenty-five years, a new Cottrell press has recently been purchased. And now, after a quarter of a century the proprietors can boast that in all that time they have never missed an issue, have never used a "patent inside," and have never failed to ap- pear promptly on time on publication day, except in a few instances when the paper was purposely held back for important news.
As a prominent factor in the growth of village and county, as a popular means of promoting the educational interests, as well as a dis- seminater of reliable news, the "Record" has proven itself worthy of the high esteem in which it is held by those familiar with its pages ; and it has accomplished much for the moral as well as the temporal interests of the county.
THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS IN ALEDO.
Mercer county has been politically a republican county ever since the organization of that party. Issues have occasionally been made on men or measures by means of which republicans have been de- feated, and democrats or other opponents have been elected by the people ; but these instances, however frequent, were still only excep-
Daniel gomes
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tional, and the continued ascendency of the republican party has been maintained and augmented greatly by the fact that as soon as the county seat was settled at Aledo, a party organ was promptly pro- vided, the official patronage of the county bestowed on it, and the people, especially of the dominant party, slowly but surely educated to contribute to the material support of their newspaper.
The democratic party, in the minority numerically and without men of capital, or hopes of official patronage, and destitute of am- bitious leaders, made no attempt to establish a party organ for nearly a dozen years after.
In the summer of 1866, circumstances conspired to make the time favorable for starting a democratic newspaper in Aledo, something to be made a rallying center for the democrats of the county and those displeased with the action of the majority in congress at that time. President Lincoln had been assasinated the year before, and vice- president Johnson, becoming acting president, projected an adminis- trative policy to which a majority of his party in congress was op- posed. Hostile feeling and action arose between the acting president and the congress, and many removals and appointments to office were being made, favorable to the policy of the administration and gener- ally favorable to the democrats. Appearances were that a change might be made in the political complexion of the whole country, and that, with the aid of what were called the liberal republicans, Mercer county even might be revolutionized. The reconstruction measures were then being enacted. Many of the republicans thought these measures too radical, if not wholly unauthorized by the organic law. while the democrats, in addition, felt exasperated at the political dis- advantage at which the party was placed by the disfranchisement of so many southern states.
One of these disaffected republicans, Judge John S. Thompson, of Aledo, an able lawyer and shrewd organizer, was put up for congress against the republican candidate, Gen. Harding. The district was then perhaps 200 miles long, extending from Port Byron to Keokuk along the Mississippi river, and Charles Harris, of Oquawka, a straight democrat, had been able to be elected to congress not many years prior to this election. Hope was entertained of success under the leadership of Judge Thompson, and the democrats, in this sanguine mood of mind, some time in the month of August had an informal assembly of some of its more prominent members at the Barton house in Aledo, now the Button house.
At this meeting it was determined to raise funds and start a demo- cratie newspaper. The plan adopted was a stock company, bound by
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a simple personal agreement without articles of incorporation. The shares were $10, and each member of the company was entitled to as many votes for officers as he held shares.
A considerable amount was subscribed at this meeting, and three or four papers were prepared and put into the hands of canvassers, by means of which about $1,400 was in a short time pledged.
Before the Barton house meeting closed its sittings and put its papers in hand, it was necessary to name the paper. Several titles were proposed, of more or less partisan import ; but that fatal timidity and spirit of boundless concession that has so long been an element of weakness in the democratic party, prevailed on this occasion, and the proposed paper took the neutral meaningless title of "The Mercer County Press."
J. A. J. Birdsall, a piquant, versatile writer, and good collector of local news, who had had some experience in publishing a democratic paper in Keithsburg, was chosen as editor and publisher; and with $475, advanced by Hon. T. B. Cabeen, Birdsall went to Chicago and laid in a press and materials for printing the paper, taking some credit ; and some time in the month of September the first number of the "Press " was issued.
The pledge for the payment of stock subscriptions ran in this way: "We, the undersigned, agree to pay to the publishers of 'The Mercer County Press' the sums set opposite our names, for the purpose of publishing a democratic paper in the county of Mercer and state of Illinois, whenever called for, or in a reasonable time."
The "Press " was duly issued. The campaign was a spirited one, but lost to the democracy, and their earnest colleagues. After this collapse the spirit and enthusiasm of the Press company were rapidly cooled. The fatal clause in the compact giving "a reasonable " but indefinite time for payment of stock now began to show its turpitude ; not more than two-thirds of the stock was ever collected. T. B. Cabeen lost about $250 in money advanced to the "Press "; and T. S. Robb and I. C. Gilmore, and other liberal men who made advances from time to time to keep down expenses, had more or less of final loss. The stock subscribers were nearly all amply able to pay; but from some defect in the organization or energy in the conduct of affairs, no forci- ble means were ever employed to make collections.
The subscriptions to the paper were taken up in the same hasty, loose manner that characterized the stock subscriptions. But few were pressed to pay on sight, and all were freely trusted ; besides, many were scored down on the list without having been consulted or seen ; and as a natural and inevitable result, the establishment was soon
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carrying an immense delinquent list, and suffering a large accumula- tion of unpaid bills for labor, materials, rent, and contingent expenses.
Added to these untoward circumstances was the damaging knowl- edge that the Johnsonian policy was not to succeed. The reconstruction measures went on without interruption. The acting president was hemmed in on all sides by what was known as the "radicals." The tenure-of-office act virtually took away from him the appointing power by denying him the right to make arbitrary removals. When the president's patronage was thus shorn off, his influence and prestige fell with it, and he was shortly after put on the defensive by articles of impeachment.
It was only natural that many of the liberals should quietly slide back to a more solid base; and that the democracy, hopelessly defeated, would experience more or less demoralization in their ranks. Mr. Birdsall, finding the pecuniary results of his labors unsatisfactory, after the first year, gave way to a young man named Wilson, of whom little seems to be known, and who occupied the editorial chair but a short time, and with not very satisfactory results. Some time later in the year 1867 David R. Waters, a former citizen of Williamsport, Penn- sylvania, but then a resident of Aledo, and a law partner of Hon. Charles M. Harris, of Oquawka, took the management of the "Press." He was a man of fine abilities in many directions. In temperament he was nervous, and possibly a little too sanguine for a safe business man ; and a little too radical for the political success of a minority party. He was, however, a fully reliable democrat, an able political writer and speaker, and a faithful worker for the cause he had- espoused. His zeal for his own canse, and his abhorence of the sup- posed errors of his opponents, seemed to lead him sometimes into business and even social discriminations among those he came in contact with. The business up to about the beginning of the year 1868 had been done in a low, but roomy building that had been occupied during and before the war by Mr. Edwards as a dry goods merchant. It stood north of the Aledo house and on nearly the site now occupied by I. N. Edwards' ice-house; it was afterward removed to Fifth street, on the south side, between Walnut street and College avenue, on the second floor of a frame building owned and then occupied by A. M. Byers with the first bank in Aledo. Here Mr. Waters completed his labors not long after April 1, 1869, when it was sold by the com- pany to John Geiger, of Aledo, for $800; who immediately added to the materials, which were barely sufficient to issue the newspaper, a carefully-selected little job office, at a cost of about $500. This outlay, timely made, would have avoided one great source of financial weak-
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ness in the "Press." and with all its reverses might have kept it at least self-sustaining, as its successors have been ever since.
The new proprietor. recognizing the fact that the "Press." not- withstanding its able editorial management, had closed out a financial failure, and was virtually a pauper, believed that public confidence could sooner be secured by starting a new paper, with a title more expressive of its character and objects ; and with this view he made no attempt to resurrect the shattered fortunes of the " Press." but April 13, 1869, issued the first number of "The Democratic Banner." The few years that had now passed since the war, had begun to temper its ascerbities, and with the better feelings and better facilities the new venture received a fair share of remunerative business. It was con- ducted a while longer in Byer's building, and afterward a small frame building on College avenue, 18×36 feet in size, was purchased of Jacob Cool, the same that. with its open, red-trimmed front, is now used for a primary school; to this place the office was removed, where it remained until some time in the autumn of 1872.
The " Banner " during this time held the leading principles and sentiments of the old school democracy ; and frequently found occasion to dissent from the new methods and policies propounded by platforms and leaders of the times. The editor had, in 1872, voted alone in the state convention, against a resolution favoring the nomination of Horace Greeley. And when afterward the nomination was made by the national convention. he denounced both the nomination and the nominee. without reserve, as being unfit, whether viewed in the light of principle or of policy.
The nomination was, however, accepted all over the Union. Here in Mercer county, besides the remnant of liberal republicans that had not returned to their old home. there was an informal, unorganized. intangible. but omnipresent little party, then sometimes known as grangers. This fugitive gypsy body, as well as the liberals, were enthusiastic adherents to Horace Greeley. [Mistake : grangers didn't spring up till spring of 1873 .- Ricker]. And by their ardent proffers of material, as well as moral support, O. P. Arthur was induced to make purchase of the "Banner " office, and he took possession early in July 1872. He was a young man but lately from the Monmouth College, and at this time was a law student in the office of Bassett & Connell. He had energy and learning, and a good order of talent ; and withal could give to the " great commoner " a consciencious sup- port. The "Banner" was still conducted as a democratic organ, and supported democratic men and measures. The business was for awhile conducted at the little red front building, but was shortly after removed
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