USA > Illinois > Mercer County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 16
USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 16
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An event, the result of a movement started by the W. C. T. Union occurred in the spring of 1880, which is noted less for its local signifi- cance than the wide attention it attracted at the time. On the petition of over 300 men and women, the town board, in February, passed an ordinance permitting men twenty-one years of age and women eighteen years of age, having qualifications of residence, to vote for or against licensing the sale of intoxicating liquors, at the election for municipal officers on the fifth of April following, and annually thereafter. A separate ballot-box and election board had necessarily to be provided, and the ordinance made it mandatory on the board of trustees to appoint three persons to receive and canvass the votes, two of whom should act as judges and one as clerk. When the day came a number of female celebrities in the suffrage and temperance reform had gath- ered from distant parts of the country to assist the fair contestants to touch off what Miss Frances E. Willard had christened "the Sumter Gun." The work of preparation began on Saturday afternoon, when the first meeting was held in the Presbyterian church. A mass meeting followed in the evening. On the Sabbath very solemn services took place at the churches, and the strangers from abroad were conspicuous in all the public exercises. Early on the morning of election day the women assembled for religious worship, after which a procession of forty-seven, headed by Mrs. E. G. Hibben, of Peoria, president of the W. C. T. Union of Illinois, marched to the polls. Committees of women were on the street throughout the day laboring with active and effective zeal in the christian cause, under the incitement of a grave
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
preparation and the first flush of gratitude for their enlarged privileges. Twice in the day the band, with brazen horns, paraded Main street, discoursing awakening strains. Boys trooped in advance carrying banners with the legends, "Bad luck to whisky," "Down with license," etc. No opposition was made, and the poll stood 159 women and 98 men against license. A solitary man voted by mistake for license. The same thing was repeated the next year, but with less demonstra- tion, and this time a license board was elected, when on the eighth of April the famous home protection ordinance, which had excited the live- liest interest and comment, and had brought letters of inquiry and gratulation from all parts of the United States and from Europe, was rescinded.
The Keithsburg Building and Loan Association was organized early in the present year (1882), by some of the leading citizens of the town, who were licensed on the sixth of February, by the secretary of state, to open books for subscriptions to the capital stock. The object aimed at is to assist members to procure and improve real estate. T. B. Cabeen is the president, and T. S. Cummins, secretary.
Green Mound Cemetery lies one mile east of Keithsburg, on ground donated by Paul Sheriff, in 1852, and laid out the same year. Some handsome monuments have been erected, but the enclosure has fallen into a state of sad neglect.
TRAGEDIES.
Reuben Williams, being assailed by James Fierman, in his defense killed him by accidentally breaking his neck. The men were shelling corn for William Gayle when the difficulty occurred. This was in the summer of 1851. Williams was forthwith arraigned at the September term of the circuit court, pleaded guilty to the indictment charging him with manslaughter, and was sentenced to the penitentiary for nine months, one day's solitary confinement and the remainder of the time at hard labor.
Mrs. Ungles, the aged mother of W. J. Ungles, was suffocated in her bed by the clothing taking fire from the stove. This occurred about 1855.
In 1858 William, son of James C. Stevens, was drowned at the foot of Mapes' island. He was eleven years old.
A little daughter of G. L. Dunn fell into a tub of hot water and was so badly scalded that she died after six days, April 22, 1859. Her age was four years.
Francis Marion Gruwell was killed November 9, 1859, by the bursting of a cannon while firing a salute over election news, the
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KEITHSBURG TOWNSHIP.
particular theme of rejoicing being the success of Warren Shedd, republican candidate for county clerk.
Catharine, wife of James Geiger, and her infant child perished from a foolish attempt to fill a fluid lamp while burning. This was on September 1, 1860. Mrs. Geiger lived six hours in terrible suffering.
In the summer of 1860 Columbus Caufield shot and killed Jake Price in self-defense. Caufield was fully exonerated by the coroner's jury. At another time he killed a man in New Boston township and departed the country and has not since been seen.
Two years later Nathan Shockley, a Missouri secessionist and des- perado, stabbed and killed North Fleming. Political malignity was the moving cause, though a trumped-up subterfuge was assigned and so effectively used as to secure the murderer's acquittal. He was afterward fatally cut to pieces in Missouri by a butcher whom he was on the point of shooting down in cold blood.
On the third of November, 1864, Alexander Holland was thrown. from his buggy by a runaway horse at the corner of Main and Second streets, and died in a few hours from his injuries.
A little nine-year old daughter of Joseph Wadsworth's caught her clothes on fire from the stove while the rest of the family were out, and was so burned that she died in a few hours. This was in the autumn of 1864.
Hannah Jane Frazier, the handsone and intelligent daughter of Andrew Frazier, lost her life in 1868 by the imprudent use of kero- sene in kindling a fire. Her body was horribly burned and she lived only a few hours, but in excruciating agony and conscious to the last. She was about sixteen years of age and had a disposition of great sweetness.
Francis Johnson, son of John Johnson, was drowned in the river about 1869.
The most considerable fire which ever took place in this town was on the night of July 4, 1870, and broke out in the livery stable belonging to H. N. Ives and situated on the west side of. Fourth street, between Main and Jackson. The Nelson House adjoining was burned, as were also Mrs. Emily Wade's and Joseph Thompson's dwellings, and O. Holland's corn house. The total loss, after deduct- ing $5,500 of insurance, was $13,000. The distressing feature of this · sad misfortune was the loss of the two young boys, Frank Ives and Willie Dempster, who perished in the flames while sleeping in the livery stable. These lads were about fourteen years old. They
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
suffocated, it is thought, before the fire reached their couch. Their charred bodies were removed and the burial took place from the Methodist church where most solemn and impressive funeral services were performed. The fire is believed to have been incendiary.
John T. Calhoun was drowned in the river at the foot of Main street, on Sunday morning, May 12, 1872. He and his wife were in a skiff which was capsized by the current. She was insensible when rescued but recovered.
George HI. Frick was killed by a bursting cannon when celebrating election news on Wednesday, November 6, 1872.
Willie Phares, son of W. H. Phares, a very beautiful and prom- ising child of little less than four years, was left sleeping in bed in the morning. The family being startled by his screams rushed to the room and found his night-clothes in flames. It is supposed that he set himself on fire with matches. This was on July 22, 1875. He survived until the next day.
M. Kelly, of this place, while on a trip to Canada for his health, committed suicide by drowning at Michigan City, Indiana, Septem- ber 19, 1876.
On June 23, 1877, John Moore lost his little son John, eight years old, by drowning in Pope creek.
Mrs. Julia Strong, a useful and respected woman fifty-six years of age, living in the country, was. thrown from her buggy by an unmanageable team, and after being dragged some distance violently struck a tree on Main street, which fractured her skull and caused instant death. This melancholy accident happened November 26, 1880.
Frederick Fry, a saloon-keeper on Black Hawk or Willett's island, was shot and mortally wounded by William A. Griffin, on the even- ing of February 28, 1881, when avoiding arrest upon a capias in the hands of Thomas L. Rippey. These men were in pursuit of him upon the ice near the main land, and when within twenty yards of him he began shooting at Griffin, who returned his fire with fatal effect. He lived twelve hours. Upon the inquest Griffin was acquitted of blame.
About ten years ago some boys were pushing a car on the track near the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis depot, when Frank Got- chalk, aged ten or twelve years, was crushed under the wheels.
An infant child of Samuel Woods was burned to death at the stove, while left alone, some seven years ago.
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KEITIISBURG TOWNSHIP.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
In the earlier history of this township the people went out to Glancy's mill to vote. Keithsburg was made a polling place in 1840, and on the third of August the first election was held. In the fall of 1853 Mercer county adopted township organization, and the next spring the first officers were elected in Keithsburg. Below is a list of the principal ones from that time to the present date :
Year.
SUPERVISOR.
TOWN CLERK.
ASSESSOR.
COLLECTOR.
1854
O. C .· Allen
1855
O. C. Allen
W. J. Ungles.
H. G. Calhoun.
John Morehead.
1856
N. B. Partridge
J. S. Pinkerton
William Willett
J. B. Matlock.
1857
H. S. Scott.
R. C. Cabeen *
James Fleming*
J. T. Calhoun.
1858
Washington Wolf.
John Nevius.
G. L. Dunn .
J. J. Wordin.
1859
Joseph Harvey
John Nevius.
E. L. Wolf .
J. J. Wordin.
1860
B. D. Ellett
John Nevius.
A. F. Glover.
J. J. Wordin.
1861
J. C. Pepper
John Nevius.
A. F. Glover ..
J. J. Wordin.
1862
John E. Willits
John Nevins.
C. J. Simpson
Joseph Thompson.
1863
John E. Willits.
John Nevius.
C. J. Simpson
Joseph Thompson.
1864
John E. Willits
John Nevius.
C. J. Simpson
B. P. Frick.
1865
William P. Litten.
George Gore
Joseph Thompson.
1866
T. B. Cabeen
J. H. T. Madden.
C. J. Simpson
Joseph Thompson.
1867
C. C. Matlock
J. H. T. Madden
C. M. Wright
R. C. Humbert.
1868
C. C. Matlock
J. H. T. Madden.
J. A. Swezy
R. C. Humbert.
1869
C. C. Matlock
J. H. T. Madden
J. A. Swezy
John Thomson.
1870
C. C. Matlock
J. H. T. Madden
J. A. Swezy
George F. Parsons.
1871
Benijah Lloyd
A. H. Frazier
J. A. Swezy
Thomas H. Freeman.
1872
Benijah Lloyd
A. H. Frazier
John Beavens
Thomas H. Freeman.
1875
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
Isaiah Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
1876
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
Isaiah Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
1877
Benijah Lloyd
J. N. MeGee. ..
Isaiah Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
1878
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
Isaiah Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
1879
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
Isaiah Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
1880
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
Isaiah Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
1881
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
Joshua Willits.
Thomas H. Freeman.
1882
Seth E. Gates
T. S. Cummins
Joshua Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
1873
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
A. F. Glover
Thomas H. Freeman.
1874
Benijah Lloyd
T. S. Cummins
Isaiah Willits
Thomas H. Freeman.
John E. Willits
* These persons refused to qualify and serve, and the town board on the second of May filled the vacancies with the following appointments: John Nevius for town clerk and Jacob Spangler for assessor.
The following citizens of the township have been elected to the office of justice of the peace : 1840, J. McH. Wilson, resigned in 1841; 1843, B. D. Ellett, Nicholas Edwards, John W. Nevius; 1847, James Garner, Nathaniel B. Partridge, B. D. Ellett, John W. Nevius; 1849, O. C. Allen, James Garner ; 1852, Peter Eckly, N. B. Partridge ; 1854, H. G. Calhoun, R. W. Kile; 1855, John Dunn, vice Kile, resigned ; 1858, John Nevius, Mark J. O'Brien; 1860, H. G. Calhoun, vice O'Brien, resigned; 1862, John Nevius, resigned in 1865; M. J. O'Brien, resigned in 1864; 1864, J. A. J. Birdsall ; 1865, O. C. Rich- ardson ; 1866, Matthias Wickiser, O. C. Richardson; 1868, Jacob B. Spangler; 1870, Matthias Wickiser, resigned same year and J. B. Spangler elected to vacancy; A. F. Glover, resigned in 1873; 1873, T. S. Cummins, H. S. Scott ; 1877, T. S. Cummins, H. S. Scott ; 1881, T. S. Cummins, Richard Wolf; 1882, H. S. Scott, vice Wolf, resigned.
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
The first roads in this township were opened by order of the county commissioners June 3, 1839, one having been surveyed from the bridge on the Edwards river, on the New Boston and Knoxville state road, through Keithsburg to Gavitt's cabin (alias Columbia City) on to the county line, and the other from Keithisburg to Isaiah Willits', and from thence intersecting with the county road leading to the Ohio settlement on Pope River. This is substantially the description given in the petitions which Robert Keith presented at the regular term, March 9, 1839. June 7, three dollars were deposited with each petition to pay the viewers, Lewis Noble, Rezin Pratt and Joseph Leonard. For laying out these roads the following disbursements were made from the road fund: Lewis Noble, for three and a half days' viewing, $3.50; John Noble and Isaac Bates, for two days' chaining, $2 each ; and Paul Sheriff, for hauling stakes one and a half days, $3.
A railroad from Warsaw to Rockford having been projected to run through Keithsburg, November 4, 1855, the town unanimously voted to subscribe $20,000 to the capital stock of the company. The work of grading was commenced in 1856, B. P. Frick and J. C. Cabeen having the contract from Warsaw to Keithsburg, the former taking charge of the construction at this end of the route and the latter at the other. To settle all doubt as to the legality of the subscription and to make it available, an act of the legislature chartering the town was procured, with a special provision legalizing the subscription and authorizing the issue of bonds. This was approved February 16, 1857, and on the 4th of May following an ordinance was passed directing the presi- dent of the board of trustees to subscribe to the stock of the Warsaw & Rockford Railroad Company in the above-mentioned sum, and em- powering that officer and the clerk to execute the bonds of the town, due in twenty years, with interest at the rate of ten per cent, payable semi-annually. They were to be delivered as work upon the road progressed, to pay the assessments upon the stock taken by the town, and on the 1st day of June eight bonds for $1,000 each were issued. On the 16th four of them were passed over to B. P. Frick, and on the 10th of July the remaining four were surrendered to the same person. In this last month the company failed, and work on the road was permanently suspended. No part of the route was finished. Below Sagetown some bridging was done, but as the contractors were never paid for the bridges these were afterward taken down.
The corporation paid the interest on the indebtedness made in aid of this railroad until the hardship prompted the town to resist further collection, and in 1863 suit was brought in the circuit court of Mercer
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KEITHSBURG TOWNSIIIP.
county and carried to the supreme court of the state, from which a writ of mandamus was procured, compelling the town to levy a tax to meet this obligation. In 1874 one of these bonds was paid and canceled, the second in 1876; and August 3, 1877, a corporation election was held to vote on the question of a new issue to retire the six then out- standing. A unanimous vote of forty-seven decided this in the affirma- tive, and on the first day of December the bonds were issued in denominations of $100. Next year ten of these were redeemed, leaving the presented bonded debt of the town $5,000.
Hiram W. Thornton, last president of the Warsaw & Rockford railroad, brought suit against the company for services and obtained judgment; and when the road was sold under execution he bought the grading and has since disposed of it piecemeal at private sale. The Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis railroad having been projected with the intention of running the line through Keithsburg, a part of the road-bed of the Warsaw & Rockford was purchased by this company.
To preserve the continuity of events it is necessary to say that in 1869, through the exertions of Col. Isaac McManus, state senator from the fourteenth district, a charter for the Dixon & Quincy railroad was obtained, with the ulterior design, no doubt, of transferring it to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy corporation. The Dixon & Quincy company was forthwith organized with Col. McManus as president, and on the 18th of May a special election was held in Keithsburg to decide whether the township should take $35,000 of stock in the road, the bonds covering the subscription not to be issued until there should be a running connection by rail from Keithsburg to lines con- necting with Chicago. This was favorably determined by a vote of 229 against 11. Abington township also voted to subscribe $10,000 to the capital stock of the company.
Subsequent to these elections a meeting of the directors was held in Chicago, at which a very warm discussion took place regarding the transfer of the charter. A representative was present from each of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis companies. McManus was still interested in behalf of the former, but when the vote was taken his object was defeated, the rest of the board voting solidly to turn over the subscriptions to the other corporation on condition that it give to Keithsburg railway connection with Chicago by the way of Rockford.
To be certain that this proceeding was satisfactory to the people, the directors caused a special election to be called for the 4th of Octo- ber, and submitted the proposition to recall the aid formerly voted to the Dixon & Quincy, and to grant the same amount to the Rockford,
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
Rock Island & St. Louis railroad. This was understood by the directors themselves to be simply informal and without legal conse- quence, as the charter invested the board with full power in the premises. Their action was endorsed by 197 against 5.
From the moment the assignment of the subscriptions was made, work on the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis road was pushed north from Sagetown (now Gladstone) with great vigor ; and December 14, 1869, the first locomotive ran into this town amidst the ringing of bells, the firing of anvils, and the blowing of steam whistles. Very little, if any, aid, except that guaranteed by these two townships, had been secured upon this route; but about this time Warren county ten- dered a liberal donation upon condition that the road should be built through Monmouth, and this had the effect to divert the line at Bush- nell from the contemplated course, and to break off' construction sud- denly at this point. The grading had been done between here and the American Central railway, but the iron was not down. and the bridge which had been erected over Pope creek was partly washed out, when the remainder was removed. The terminal depot was built on the eastern verge of the town, and up to 1877 this was the river branch of the main line.
This action of the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis Company in changing their road left the Dixon & Quincy Company in a position to. make a new arrangement, and the matter slumbered until the summer of 1870, when it was revived by Theodore Glancy. The result of this fresh agitation was that the directors held a meeting and passed a reso- lution to open the books for new subscriptions. Gen. A. C. Harding, of Monmouth, appeared at this meeting and subscribed an amount sufficient to give him control of the affairs of the company ; and immediately a new board of directors was elected, of which Harding, by virtue of his power, became president, when he filled the other positions according to his own caprice. But the general refused to proceed with the construction of the road until the bonds should be- issued, and toward the close of the year 1870 a citizens' meeting was. held at which H. S. Scott, William Willett and C. C. Matlock were appointed custodians to hold them in trust and to deliver them to Harding when the road should be completed from Keithsburg to the American Central railroad. C. S. Orth, heading the opposition, sued ont an injunction to restrain the issuance and delivery of the bonds, and before service could be had on Matlock, the supervisor, the latter, notwithstanding he had promised not to evade service of the writ, hastened off to Monmouth and turned them over to Harding, taking the general's bond for $70,000, binding him to surrender them to the
.
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KEITHSBURG TOWNSHIP.
township in the event that the road should not be built between the points above-named by the first of January, 1871.
It is said that it was never contemplated to build this road; that . while the ostensible purpose was to lay a track between the two cities named in the charter, the real object was to construct only the six-mile section from Keithsburg to the American Central railway. Whatever may have been the covert design, this was all that was done. The work was performed late in 1870 with the capital and by the construction company of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, the deception being kept up meantime until the Dixon & Quincy corpo- ration could secure the township bonds, which were the great prize that at last fell into Harding's hands for disposal. It is alleged that. all that was asked of the general by the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, was to obtain for that corporation the right of way, which he did for something less than $3,000.
Trains ran into Keithsburg over this short line on January 1, 1871. At the annual township election, in April of this year, Benijah Lloyd was elected to succeed C. C. Matlock as supervisor; on the 11th he qualified, and the following day demanded the books and papers belonging to the office. A few hours previous to this demand Matlock certified to the auditor of state that the township bonds issued to the Dixon & Quincy Railroad Company were entitled to registration. These bonds, seventy in number, were for $500 each, bearing ten per cent interest, dated November 1, 1870, and payable January 1, 1891. The township regularly paid, by taxation, the annual interest on these bonds up to and including the year 1880, when a suit in equity was brought by the township in the circuit court of Mercer county, to declare them void. They were supposed to be payable at the will of the people after five years, as this was one of the conditions on which the subscription was voted ; but no knowledge of their provisions could be obtained, and to pay so high a rate of interest had become unneces- sary and impolitic. The people were willing to refund at lower interest, but when no trace of the bonds could be discovered and the matter began to have the appearance of a design on the part of the holders to thwart any endeavor to retire them, inquiry was excited and investi- gation followed, when the numerous irregularities surrounding their issue and registration came to light, and it was decided to contest their validity. As a further defense of the people against the presumptions raised against them by the fact that for ten years they paid the interest without protest, it is true that a large majority were not aware that a tax for this purpose was being levied and collected.
Morgan G. Bulkley, of Connecticut, holder of $23,500 of this
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
municipal indebtedness filed an answer to the complainant's bill ; and on his motion the case was removed to the district court of the United States for the northern district of Illinois, where it was heard by Judge Blodgett, who, on January 9, 1882, dismissed the suit. The case is now pending in the United States supreme court, where it has been taken on appeal.
When Gen. Harding obtained possession of these bonds it only remained for him to transfer the road to the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Company, which he did ; and during several succeeding years Keithsburg was the terminus of the Galva branch, the depot being situated where it now is, close to the river. Finally, the main line and branches of the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis railroad were absorbed -by this company, and in the latter part of July, 1877, the right of way through the town between the two depots was procured, and in August the extremities of the two lines were brought into con- nection by a half mile of new track.
The Keithsburg, Lacon & Eastern Railroad Company was organized here, and a survey made for a standard gauge road from this point to Lacon in 1873, and a considerable amount of subscriptions was taken along the line, but the financial revulsion of that year caused the enterprise to be abandoned.
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