History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 72

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1424

USA > Illinois > Mercer County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 72
USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 72

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DR. JAMES S. ROSENBERRY was born in Warren county, New Jersey, in 1837. In 1849 the family emigrated to Mercer county, Illinois, and located in Perryton township. The subject of this sketch began the study of medicine in 1855, in the office of Dr. James S. Mathews, of Preemption township, under, whose instructions he remained three years. August, 1861, he enlisted in the 66th Illinois Sharpshooters, in which regiment he acted as hospital steward during the term of his enlistment, which expired August 31, 1864. On his return he entered the medical university of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he took one course of lectures. He then entered the Keokuk university, from which institution he received . his diploma, May 30, 1865. He then located at Coal Valley, Illinois, where he practiced five years. In 1870 he located in Richland Grove township, where he still resides. He was married in 1867 to Miss Mary E. Tenny, who died in 1872. Again married in January, 1881. to Miss Sarah E. Rains, a native of Scott county, Iowa.

RIVOLI TOWNSHIP.

This township, which is designated in the government surveys as T. 14 N., R. 1 W. of the 4th P.M., was originally called North Pope, but its name was changed to Rivoli, at the suggestion of Hon. R. H. Spicer, one of the earliest pioneers.

The first settler in this township was Mr. James Bridger, who located here in the spring of 1836, having previously located in Schuyler county, this state, where he arrived from New York Decem- ber 9, 1833. Mr. Bridger was born in Sussex, England, August 1, 1802, emigrating to America in the spring of 1822, arriving in New York in April of that year. He made the trip across the Atlantic in a sail vessel in the then unprecedented time of seventeen days. In 1835

743

RIVOLI TOWNSHIP.

Mr. Bridger accompanied a gentleman from Schuyler county on a horseback trip to Rock Island, where the gentleman had business, Mr. Bridger going for the sake of seeing the country. Rock Island at that time comprised two log cabins, giving but very little earnest of its present population, wealth and business. Going to Rock Island they followed a trail that led them near the present county line between Mercer and Henry counties.

Returning they struck for Monmouth, following the old military trail as it was called, which was very near the present line of road from Rock Island to Monmouth. After passing a cabin near the present site of Milan the next habitation they saw was that of Hopkins Boone on Edwards river. They reached the ford on North Henderson after dark, and not knowing its character, they did not like to venture in. Seeing a light from the cabin of William Stewart, who lived then near the ford on the south side of the stream, they hailed, and were answered by Mr. Stewart in person, who brought a torch and lighted them across the stream, bidding them welcome to the hospitality of his cabin in true pioneer style.

This trip resulted in Mr. Bridger removing to this county the fol- lowing spring, and improving a claim on the W. ¿ of the S. W. of Sec. 31 in this township, where he still resides, enjoying the fruits of his early industry and economy. Mr. Bridger figures in the initial history of this township in more points than that of being the first settler. The death of his first wife, which occurred in June, 1836, was the first death in the township. She was buried in the Mann cemetery on section 6, in North Henderson township, and was the first burial in that cemetery and the first in that township, in fact. His marriage in January, 1837, to Mrs. Eliza Longley was the first mar- riage in the township, and his son (Ira G.), born October 14, 1837, was the first birth. In his cabin occurred the preaching of the first · sermon in the township, by Rev. Samuel P. Burr, who was two years in the Mercer circuit of the Methodist Episcopal church, and an old pioneer, having settled in Edgar county, Illinois, in 1820. He was born in Langdon, New Hampshire. September 8, 1809, and died in Madison county, Nebraska, November 25, 1881. The winter of 1836-7 his cabin, which was 14×18 feet dimension, sheltered a family of fourteen persons, but still they had room to entertain any belated traveler who chanced to come that way.

In the summer of 1841 a band of Pottawattomie Indians on a hunt- ing expedition were encamped near Mr. Bridger's for a month or more. While there a son of the chief was sick and died, and they buried him on a hill on the south side of Pope creek, in the N. E. } of Sec. 6, in

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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

. North Henderson township, erecting a tall white oak pole by the grave, to the top of which was attached a white flag. This pole remained standing for many years, but the grave was marked longer by the re- mains of a pen of heavy rails that enclosed it, which could be identi- fied until quite recently, if it cannot be even yet.

Ira G., the oldest son, married Miss Susan E. Brown, a native of North Henderson township, daughter of Benjamin F. Brown, an old pioneer. They were married July 24, 1864, and lived on the Bridger homestead until the death of Mrs. Susan, which occurred May 15, 1877, leaving no family but her husband, who still lives on the old place and cares for his aged parents. A younger son (Albert C.) married Miss Sallie Brown, daughter of Harrison Brown, of Suez township, in 1862, and he enlisted in Co. E, 102d reg. Ill. Vol. Inf., the same year, and died of disease at Gallatin, Tennesse, December 8, 1862, holding the rank of sergeant in his company.

Richard Cox was among the first settlers in the eastern part of the township, locating in 1837. He was a native of Ohio, of limited edu- cation, but of good native sense and strictly upright character. He was among the first elected to the office of justice of the peace in the eastern part of the county. He was one of the early county commis- sioners, also, and was re-elected to both offices several times. He was a man of pronounced views, and outspoken in their advocacy, and was esteemed and respected by his neighbors. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church; a whig, while that party existed, and a republican after the organization of that party.

James Durston is another pioneer who has left a very prominent mark in the history of this township; born in Ashcott, Sommerset- shire, England, April 24, 1806. He came to America in 1832, stop- ping first in the State of New York, where he married Philadelphia Bridger, who was born in Sussex, England, April 18, 1817, and came thence to New York, in 1828. There their oldest daughter, Maria, was born, August 19, 1833. - He came to Illinois in 1837, and settled first on section 36, in Greene township, where Charles F., the oldest son, was born, August 14, 1837, the first birth in that township. Besides the two above named children were James T., born April 17, 1839; Sidney, September 14, 1841; Martha, May 7, 1843; Joseph, March 1, 1845, died November 10, 1846; Samuel L., June 10, 1847 ; Harriet, July 8, 1849; William E., November 2, 1851; Elizabeth Matilda, May 22, 1854; Alfred Orion. December 25, 1856 ; Elmer, December 12, 1861, died January 31, 1864.

In 1838 Mr. D. made a claim on section 30, in this township, which he afterward sold to Mr. Spicer, and made his improvements on sec-

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RIVOLI TOWNSHIP.

tion 15, where he lived until his death, which occurred September S, 1879, his wife having died April.11, 1866. The family constitute a prominent feature of the township, having held various positions of honor and trust in the township and county. Charles F., though living in Aledo now, owns a good farm in the township. James T. and Sidney also own good farms on which they reside. Samuel L. has the old homestead.

On Mr. Durston's place was built the first school-house in the township, in 1848, the frame of which now does duty in a granary for Hon. A. J. Streeter. Mr. Durston was one of the original members of the Wesleyan Methodist church, organized in Oxford in August 1847, and also of the class organized at Hopewell in the spring of 1848, as part of that church. This Hopewell class being the first church organization effected in that township, and until the school-house above referred to was built. their meetings where held at Mr. Durston's resi- dence or that of Mr. Chidester.

Nelson Chidester and his wife, Rebecca (Stewart), are among the early pioneers who still live to enjoy the advantages their labors have helped to build up out of the privations of pioneer life. Mr. Chidester was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, May 20, 1811; was married in that state October 29, 1834, and came to Illinois in 1839, spending the first winter at Little York, in Warren county; removing in the spring of 1840 to the northeast of section 16, in this township, where he still resides. Mr. and Mrs. Chidester were original members of the above- mentioned church, to which they still belong. The second school taught in the township was on Mr. Chidester's premises, occupying a back porch when the weather was pleasant, and moving into the kitchen when it rained. This school was taught in the summer of 1843 by Mary Stewart. The next year (1844) Mr. Chidester built a temporary building in his yard with lumber designed for a barn, where Miss Pollock, of North Henderson, taught when the weather was pleasant ; when it rained she had to adjourn her school to the house, and that was a frequent occurrence that year.

Another pioneer who has helped largely to make the history of the township, through the influence of his family, which still resides there, was Stephen Smith, who was born in Massachusetts, February 22, 1801. Emigrated to Ohio about 1820. The spring of 1823 he married Miss Anna Belt, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, August 25, 1803. Mr. Smith was a blacksmith by trade, having served a seven years' apprenticeship at the trade in Massachusetts. He worked at his trade in Ohio, his special forte being the working of steel and making axes, which business at that time was not exclusively in the hands of large

746

HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

manufacturers as at present. In 1874 Mrs. Smith was visiting about her old home in Ohio, and was shown axes still in use that Mr. Smith made before leaving there thirty-four years previously. In 1840 Mr. Smith came to Illinois, locating first in Richland Grove township, where he lived two years before moving into this township in 1842. He operated the first blacksmith shop in the township on his place in section 4. Mr. Smith died April 10, 1847, leaving his wife to rear the family. The honorable position the children occupy in the town is ample voucher for the faithful and able manner in which she executed the trust.

Maj. McMullen was another early settler, making one of the first improvements in the northeastern part of the township. His honse was blown from its foundation by a tornado that swept up through the Edwards valley June 5, 1844. For many years after, in breaking prairie or plowing in the vicinage of improvements that were in the line of that storm, people would encounter stakes where the wind had driven fence-rails into the ground and broken them off.

In 1837 John Heriford (there is some question as to the proper orthography, as his deeds from Uncle Sam for various tracts of land entered at different times have it as above, and also Heryford and Herryford) made a claim and settled on section 29, but after a few years he sold out and left the country. Tradition has it that the first school in this township was taught in a cabin belonging to Mr. Heriford, which stood nearly opposite where Zion Methodist Episcopal church now stands, but nothing very definite can be obtained in regard to it.

Another pioneer was Abram Watson, who came to this township in 1838, and was probably the only revolutionary soldier ever living in the county, if we except George Spies, who lived for a short time with Richard Cox, and afterward lived eight years with Mr. Bachus, of Oxford, and died there some twenty years ago at the age of 105 years. Mr. Watson was a native of Virginia, and enlisted in the revolutionary army at the age of fourteen. He was engaged at the siege of York- town, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis. He was wounded during the siege by a bayonet thrust through the leg. It was the custom when soldiers were standing upon the breastworks, if any one saw a puff of smoke arise in front of them, indicating the discharge of a gun by the British, to call shot! when they would instantly seek the shelter of the trenches. On one occasion of this kind, Mr. Watson, boy-like, without looking behind him, leaped backward from the top of the parapet, receiving the bayonet of a fellow-soldier in the calf of his leg. He lived on his claim in section 29 until his death, which

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RIVOLI TOWNSHIP.

occurred in May. 1847, when over eighty years of age, and was buried on his claim. He emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky at an early day, and thence to this state, at what time is not known, as he had been living in Warren county prior to coming to this county. He married his second wife in Warren county, and she survived him until soon after the breaking out of the late war of the rebellion. At her death the neighbors removed his remains to the Woodhams cemetery, where they are buried with hers.

Daniel Jones settled in this county in the spring of 1837, having came to the state a year previously and lived at Knoxville, Knox county. Though his educational advantages had been limited, his energy, his native good sense and sterling integrity soon caused him to be held in high estimation by his fellow pioneers. His neighbors having elected him to some local office, he was averse to its acceptance because he was not a native of the United States, but the adaption of the constitution of 1848 soon after cured that difficulty, and he served his neighbors in numerous official positions of importance afterward. He was among the first school trustees of the township, subsequent to the school organization in 1848. At the third election for town offi- cers under township organization in 1856, he was elected supervisor for the township, and was re-elected in 1858.

Soon after settling on the E. { of the N. E. of See. 25, he made a claim on the N. E. of the S. E. of the same section, and had made rails and fenced and broke part of it, when another man came along and made a claim on the same tract. Mr. J., becoming satisfied that through some informality he could not hold the claim, had intimated as much to some of his neighbors. One night shortly after, entirely unknown to Mr. J., his neighbors turned out and hauled all the rails off the dis- puted claim and piled them up near Mr. J.'s house. He is now at the age of seventy-four years carrying on a farm of eighty acres near Galesburg, Illinois, to which place he removed in 1863, overseeing the business and taking care of his stock himself. Hle was born in Canada, February 22, 1808, and on March 2, 1830, was married to Miss Atlanta Bartlett, whose brother, Gardner Bartlett, was sent by the Baptists of Vermont as a missionary to Illinois, in 1833. His labors and acquaintance in this part of the state influenced Mr. Jones to remove hither three years later. They raised a family of six children, two daughters and four sons, all of whom are respected and useful members of the communities in which they reside. Mrs. J. died August 27, 1868.

Orson Jones was born in Canada, January.6, 1834, and June 24, 1858, married Amelia, oldest daughter of R. C. Sexton, of Viola,

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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

Illinois, who died three months after her marriage. May 29, 1860, he was again married to Miss Helen P., daughter of William C. Bartlett, one of the earliest settlers of Geneseo, in Henry county. Miss Helen was born in Geneseo, October 30, 1840. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. D. 83d reg. Ill. Vol. Inf. At the time of the enlistment of the colored troops, he applied for a transfer and was commissioned as first lieu- tenant, Co. F, 14th reg, U. S. Col'd Vol. Inf., with which command he served until it was mustered out in March, 1866, nearly a year after the close of the war. Upon his return from the army in the spring of 1866, he settled upon his present farm of 154 acres, situated in section 7, in Oxford township, Henry county, where he continues to reside.

He has held nearly all the local offices in the gift of the people of his township, and now fills the important office of county surveyor of Henry county, and is also secretary of the Rivoli Township Farmer's Insurance Company of this county, of which he is a member. He is one of those men who have made the most of their limited opportu- nities, and he now stands high in the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. Farming and stock raising have been his chief occupations. Republican in politics. Religiously he and his wife are baptists, but there being no church of that faith near them, they have connected themselves with the Congregational society of New Windsor. They have two children : Frederick D., born September 13, 1861, and Minnie G., born Jannary 1, 1867.

The next son, Norville, served in Col. Woods' 140th reg. III. Vol. Inf., and now resides near Malvern, Iowa. Granville lives near Gales- burg. Corwin, at Farragut, Iowa. Louisia (now Mrs. Andreson) at Malvern, Iowa; and Mrs. Lockwood, also in Iowa.

March 3, 1870, Mr. Jones (Daniel) married Mrs. Ward, of Oxford, Henry county, who now shares his home with him in his declining years. Other names might be mentioned here among the pioneers, but their stay was short and their trails are well nigh obliterated by the growth of time.

The Rev. Hugh Breckenridge has been identified with this county since 1855, at which time he came to this state from Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where he was born May 5, 1826. The first four years of his residence here he worked at the carpenter trade, mostly in Ohio Grove township. His father, William, and his mother, Jane (Wallace) Breckenridge, were natives of Pennsylvania. His paternal grandfather and mother were natives of Scotland, whence they emigrated to this country. In the fall of 1859 Mr. B. returned to his native state, and Feb- ruary 3, 1860, was married to Miss Mary Watson, a native of Mercer

RIVOLI TOWNSHIP.

county, Pennsylvania, and daughter of John and Lucinda Watson, of that county. Bringing his wife to Illinois with him, he settled April 21, 1861, on his farm, the northwest of section 4, in Rivoli township, building his present residence that year. His farm now embraces 200 acres. They are members of the Hopewell Wesleyan Methodist church, of which Mr. B. is now a regularly ordained minister, having been ordained September 20, 1874, though he has been engaged in preaching for the last sixteen years. For two years he was pastor in charge of Hopewell circuit and was on the Ball Bluff circuit two years. The last three years he has been associate pastor of the Hopewell cir- cui . They have had six children, of whom five survive at present : . Juanita, born December 31, 1860; Clara L., September 23, 1862; William W .. July 13, 1865; Sarah L., January 4, 1868 (died October 17, 1868): Edward E., May 23, 1869; and Mary A., June 7, 1870.

SCHOOLS.

The first official record of the schools of Rivoli township, 14 N., R. 1 W., is dated February 26, 1848, at which time James Bridger, Nelson Chidester, and Jonathan D. Wood, school trustees, met at the house of R. R. Cox and appointed the latter treasurer, and divided the township into three districts as follows: "The first district shall com- mence at the southeast corner of said township and run three miles west, and then due north until it strikes North Pope creek, then up said creek to the township line, then south along said line to the place of beginning. The second district shall be composed of all the said township north of North Pope creek. The third district shall commence at the south west corner of said township and run three miles east, then north till it strikes North Pope creek, then down said creek to the west line of said township, then south to the place of beginning." They also "or- dered R. R. Cox to purchase three books for the use of the treasurer, not to exceed in value $2.00."

At the second meeting of the trustees, held April 1, 1848, they dis- tributed the funds on hand. amounting to $19.65, to the several dis- tricts, of which district number one was entitled to receive $6.01; num- ber two, $6.37; and number three, $7.27. They also ordered the treasurer to pay E. H. McConoughty, teacher, $5.20; L. Chidester, teacher, $1.15; and H. Brown, teacher, $1.67. At the next meeting, July 1, 1848, they ordered $3.49 paid to Sarah C. Westfall, teacher. At the next meeting, October 7, 1848, after settling with the treasurer, they find the cash on hand to amount to $11.75, and order the same to be loaned as township funds. January 6, 1849, they find $3.99 in the treasurer's hands, which they order loaned. April 7, 1849, they

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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

apportioned $27.00 to the districts, as follows : district number one, $8.25; district number two, $8, 75; and district number three, $10.00. The teachers ordered paid at that time were L. Cawkins, A. B. McChesney, and John Libby. It is also recorded at this meeting that "The trustees do hereby agree to act as directors of schools in said township." July 7, 1849. "This day the trustees were to meet," but there was "none present but Nelson Chidester," who "examined the treasurer's books and notes," and "found all to his satisfaction." He also "presented a schedule from district number two for $7.50," and "ordered to pay Martha Cole, teacher," that sum. He then "ad- journed to meet at the house of R. R. Cox on the first Saturday of October."

October 6, 1849, the teachers ordered paid were Catharine B. Har- vey and Martha Cole. At this time the trustees returned a list of the children in the township, amounting to 105, distributed as follows : dis- trict No. 1, 26 ; district No. 2, 42; and district No. 3, 37. January 12, 1850, trustees met and an election was held to elect a new board, which resulted in the election of Daniel Jones, James Durston, and John L. Stewart. At this meeting R. H. Spicer presented a petition from citizens of T. 14 N., R. 2 W., asking that all the territory in said town south of North Pope creek be attached to T. 14 N., R. 1 W., for school purposes, and be included in district No. 3 of said town. The prayer of the petitioners was granted. January 19, 1850, the new board of trustees met and appointed R. R. Cox, treasurer, fixing the penalty of his bond at $500. April 6, 1850, the trustees found $20.63 on hand, to which they ordered $15 added, being "money remaining in the hands of school committee." The sum of $35.63 was then distributed to the three districts in proportion to the number of children. At this meeting the schedules of J. S. Mahan, teacher in district No. 1, and Harmon Brown, teacher in district No. 3, were approved and ordered paid. October 5, 1850, trustees approve and order paid the schedules of Melissa Wilber, teacher in district No. 1, and Martha Cole, teacher in district No. 2. April 12, 1851, the Schedule of Nathan T. Smith; · teacher in distriet No. 1, was presented. Settlement with the treas- urer at this time showed a balance of twenty-five cents on hand, which was ordered loaned as township funds. October 11, 1851, trustees filed census of children under twenty-one years of age in the town, number- ing 128, of whom district No. 1 had 33, district No. 2 had 55, and dis- trict No. 3 had 40. At this time it appears that Mary Underwood taught in district No. 1; Martha Cole, in No. 2; and Lydia Ann Wilber, in No. 3. At this time the bond of Alfred Cooper for one-half acre of land for a school-house site in district No. 3 was approved. It calls

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RIVOLI TOWNSHIP.

for such land as shall be agreed upon, off the east side of the S. E. ¿ of Sec. 30, on or near the road running east and west. October 4, 1851, appears the first record of the election of school directors, at which time James Bridger presented to the trustees a poll book of an election held at the school-house, in district No. 3, in which it is certified that James M. Garrett, Richard Cooper, and William Terry were elected directors. January 10, 1852, an election was held at the school-house in district No. 2, to elect three trustees of schools, resulting in the election of George Eckley, James Durston, and John W. Cox. After- ward it was found that John W. Cox would not serve as trustee because he would move out of the township in a short time, and they neglected returning the poll book of said election, so the treasurer gave notice of another election to be held at the same place on February 28. "The legal voters met on that day and concluded that it would not be lawful to elect three new trustees." So they "concluded that the former trustees should serve another term." At this time James Bridger was appointed treasurer.

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History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 72

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co. Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1424