USA > Illinois > Pike County > History of Pike County, Illinois : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens > Part 30
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MILLING.
Not the least of the hardships of the pioneers was the procuring of bread. The first settlers must be supplied at least one year from other sources than their own lands. But the first erops, however abundant, gave only partial relief, there being no mills to grind the grain. Hence the necessity of grinding by hand power, and many families were poorly provided with means for doing this. Another way was to grate the corn. A grater was made from a piece of tin, sometimes taken from an old, worn-out tin bucket or other vessel. It was thickly perforated, bent into a semi-circular form, and nailed, rough side upward, on a board. The corn was taken in the ear, and grated before it got dry and hard. Corn, however, was eaten in various ways.
Soon after the country became more generally settled, enterpris- ing men were ready to embark in the milling business. Sites along the streams were selected for water-power. A person looking for a mill-site would follow up and down the stream for a desired loca- tion, and when found he would go before the County Commis- sioners and secure a writ of ad quod damnum. This would enable the miller to have the adjoining land officially examined, and the amount of damage by making a dam was named. Mills being such a great public necessity, they were permitted to be located upon any person's land where the miller thought the site desirable.
THE HOMINY BLOCK .- Before giving the particulars of the anec- dote about to be related it would be well to describe the hominy block, for there are thousands in this county, doubtless, especially of the rising generation, who have never so much as heard of the
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
hominy block. It consisted of a hole bored or burned in the end of a log or stump, basin form, in which the corn was placed and then pounded with an iron wedge, block of wood or a rolling pin. Sometimes the pounding apparatus consisted of a long, heavy block of wood attached to a sprin =- pole above, which lessened the labor of preparing a meal. The one we have in question consisted of a burned-out place in the top of a stump, a heavy block or pole at- tached to a transverse spring-pole, but was run by water power instead of the common way. This hominy block was made and owned by Amasa Shinn, who resided in or near Kinderhook town- ship. Mr. Shinn would fill the block with corn at night, set it in motion, and by morning it would be pulverized and ready to be made into bread for breakfast. There came a time, however, when Mr. Shinn and family preferred to fast, for at least one meal. Squirrels were quite numerous in those days-far more than they are at present-and one evening after Mr. Shinn had set his mill in motion as usual, a squirred hopped upon the edge of the block and began wistfully to scrutinize the corn below. Finally he concluded to have some; and while the hammer was up, jumped into the block and began helping himself, when the huge pounder alighted upon him. During the remainder of the night the pounder kept regularly descending into the block, thoroughly mashing and mix- ing the squirrel and the corn. When Mr. Shinn came down the next morning for his meal he found a conglomerate of squirrel and meal.
Many interesting and indicrous incidents are related in reference to going to mill, waiting for grists, etc., many of which are greatly overdrawn. Harrison Henry, now deceased, often related an incident that, although untrue, was commendable for its witticism and application to the mills of pioneer days. He would tell the story of himself in the following language: " I went to Mr. Ever- itt's mill (an overshot water-mill) one day, and remained until night for my turn. When my turn came Mr. Everitt filled the hopper with corn, and taking me with him to the honse, retired for the night, leaving the mill to do the work alone. During the night I was awakened by the barking of Mr. Everitt's dog. This annoyed me not a little, but I finally fell asleep again. In the early morning when I awoke, I heard the almost steady barking of the dog, and went down to the mill to learn what it was barking at. On arriving there I found that the dog had eaten all the meal and was barking for more! He would wait until a little meal would come down, when he would ravenously lick it up, and then look up the spont and bark for more!" Mr. Henry would continne: " I don't tell this incident to injure the mill, for it was a very good and faith- ful mill; it grinds away faithfully on one grain until it finishes it, and then jumps right on to another."
NATIVE ANIMALS.
The wild animals infesting this county at the time of its settle-
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
ment were the deer, wolf, bear, wild-cat, fox, otter, raccoon, wood- chuck or ground-dog, skunk, mink, weasel, muskrat, opossum, rab- bit and squirrel; and the principal feathered game were the quail, prairie-chicken, and wild turkey. Several of these animals furnished meat for the early settlers; but their principal meat did not consist long of game. Pork and poultry were soon raised in abundance. The wolf was the most troublesome animal, it being the common enemy of the sheep. It was quite difficult to protect the sheep from their ravages. Sometimes pigs and calves were also victims of the wolf. Their howlings in the night would often keep families awake, and set all the dogs in the neighborhood to barking. Their yells were often terrific. Says one settler: "Suppose six boys, having six dogs tied, whipped them all at the same time, and you would hear such music as two wolves would make." To effect the destruc- tion of these animals the county authorities offered a bounty for their scalps; and, besides, big hunts were inagurated for their des- truction, and " wolf hunts " are prominent among the memories of the early settlers. Such events were generally turned into a holi- day, and everybody that could ride a nag or stand the tramp on foot joined in the deadly pursuit. A large circuit was generally made by the hunters, who then closed on every side, driving the hungry wolves into the center of the corral, where they were despatched. The return home with the carcasses was the signal for a general turn- ont, and these " pleasure parties " are still referred to by old citizen's as among the pleasantest memories of early life in Pike county. Many a hungry wolf has been run down on the prairies where now is located a town or a fine farm residence. This rare old pastime, like much of the early hunting and fishing the pioneers indulged in here, departed at the appearance of the locomotive.
BEE-HUNTING.
During the early settlement of this part of the State, one of the prevailing customs of the poineers was "bee-hunting." Often a small company would travel many miles into a wild, unsettled country, in search of the sweet, flavored honey of the wild bee. Large trees containing many gallons, and often a barrel, were fre- quently found by bee-hunters. The little, busy bees would be carefully watched as they flew heavily laden with the richest extract of the flowers that were purely native and unknown to the present generation. They always took a " bee-line " for their homes. This was a correct gnide to the sturdy hunter, who had studied with care the ways of the bee and by their knowledge took advantage of the little insect. Once on the trail, good bee-hunters were almost cer- tain to capture the rich prize. After the bee-tree was discovered it was no trouble to get possession of the honey. The tree was felled, and the hunters would rush for their booty ere it was lost by run- ning out upon the ground.
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ILISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.
The pioneer was more freely and heartily social with his friends, and cold toward his enemies, than we seem to be at the present day; and he showed what race he belonged to by his efforts to establish religions, philanthropie and educational institutions. The young folks, we have no doubt, found many ways of robbing old Time of loneliness. It would be unfair to suppose them, espeei- ally the ladies, destitute of fashionable aspirations, but the means for gandy display were very much circumscribed in those days. The male attire consisted chiefly of buckskin, or homespun cloth, -- we might add home-woven, the loom being far more com- mon in or near their rude huts than the piano or organ. They were not, however, destitute of musical taste, and many of their vocal performances would compare favorably with our present choirs. We may safely say they sang with the spirit. Most of the ladies, also, wore homespun, which they manufactured from wool, flax, cotton, and the bark or lint of the nettle, colored with such ingredients as nature provided, without the aid of art. A few even adopted buckskin. How many yards of the latter article were required for a fashionable dress in those times, or in what partieular style it was ent and trimmed, we are not informed, and must leave the ladies to draw their own conclusions. These dresses certainly were durable, and shielded the wearer in out-door exer- cises incident to the planting, attending and gathering of crops, in which pursuit the ladies in all new countries assist.
Another of the prevailing fashions was of that of carrying fire- arms, made necessary by the presence of roving bands of Indians, most of whom were ostensibly friendly, but like Indians in all times, treacherous and unreliable. These tribes were principally Pottawatomies. There were also in the northern part of the State several tribes of hostile Indians, ready at any time to make a mur- derous, thieving raid upon the white settlers; and an Indian war at any time was an accepted probability; and these old settlers to-day have vivid recollections of the Black Hawk and other Indian wars. And, while target practice was much indulged in as an amusement, it was also necessary for a proper self-defense, the settlers finding it necessary at times to carry their guns with them when they went to hoe their corn. In some instances their guns were stacked in the field and the laborers worked for a certain dis- tance around them, and then moved the guns to a certain position and again proceeded with their work.
These were only a few of the hardships incident to pioneer life, which was largely made up of privations, inconveniences and dan- gers. They had few labor-saving machines and no reliable markets. Even communication by letter with their distant friends and rela- tives was rendered difficult for want of proper mail facilities, and sometimes for the want of money to pay the postage on the letters sent to them,-the postage then being twenty-five cents for a single
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
letter, many of which remained in the office for weeks on account of the inability of the persons addressed to pay the postage.
MARKETS.
The earliest settlers of the county went to St. Louis with what little produce they had to sell, and the merchants bought all their goods in that city. Soon, however, Louisiana became a market, and produce was wagoned to that city and from there sent south on the river. There was at that time no sale for corn, or com- paratively none, and wheat would bring but a small price; so that really there was no impetus given to the raising of grain of any sort, except for home consumption, until the advent of the railroad. At that time improvement began. The great resources of the county which had scarcely supplied more than home demand were then turned to supply the wants of thousands. That occasion, the advent of railroads, was the commencement of agricultural develop- ment .. It was the commencement of the manufacturing institu- tions the county can now boast of; it was the building of her thriv- ing cities and towns; indeed it was the beginning of progress.
One of the earliest steam-boats in the Illinois river trade was the steamer " Exchange," which plied between St. Louis and Peoria. She was familiarly known as "the Shingle Weaver," so called from the fact of her carrying upon her hurricane deck a machine for cut- ting shingles, which was operated by the machinery of the boat, cutting whenever the boat was in motion. Shingle timber would be obtained at the wood-yards along the river, and market found for the manufactured goods at St. Louis. This boat was an especial favorite with the people of this county, many of whom would, when desiring to take a trip by the river, wait for her coming, and most of the early stocks of goods for the eastern part of the county were shipped on her; she also carried most of the county's "bees- wax " and other products to their market.
"When the first settlers came to the wilderness" says an old set- tler, " they all supposed that their hard struggle would be prin- cipally over after the first year; but alas! we looked for 'easier times 'next year ' for about ten years, and learned to bear hardships, privation and hard living as good soldiers do. As the facilities for making money were not great, we lived pretty well satisfied in an atmosphere of good, social, friendly feeling, and thought ourselves as good as those we left behind when we emigrated West."
CHILLS AND FEVER.
One of the greatest obstacles to the early settlement and prosper- ity of this county was the "chills and fever," or " ague," or "Illinois shakes," as it was variously styled. This disease was a terror to new comers. In the fall of the year everybody was afflicted with it. It was no respecter of persons; everybody shook with it, and it was in every person's system. They all looked pale and yellow as
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
though they were frostbitten. It was not contagious, but was a kind of miasma floating around in the atmosphere and absorbed into the system. It continued to be absorbed from day to day, and week to week, until the whole body corporate became charged with it as with electricity, and then the shock came; and the shock was a regular shake, with a fixed beginning and an ending, coming on each day, or each alternate day, with a regularity that was surpris- ing. After the shake came the fever, and this "last estate was worse than the first. " It was a burning, hot fever and lasted for hours. When you had the chill you couldn't get warm, and when you had the fever you couldn't get cool. It was exceedingly awkward in this respect; indeed it was. Nor would it stop for any sort of contingency. Not even a wedding in the family would stop it. It was imperative and tyrannical. When the appointed time came around everything else had to be stopped to attend to its demands. It didn't even have any Sunday or holidays. After the fever went down you still didn't feel much better. Yon felt as though you had gone through some sort of collision and came out not killed but badly demoralized. You felt weak, as though you had run too far after something, and then didn't catch it. You felt languid, stupid and sore, and was down in the month and heel and partially raveled out, so to speak. Your back was out of fix and your appetite was in a worse condition than your back. Your head ached and your eyes had more white in them than usual, and altogether you felt poor, disconso- late and sad. You didn't think much of yourself, and didn't believe other people did either, and you didn't care. You didn't think much of suicide, but at the same time you almost made up your mind that under certain circumstances it was justifiable. You imagined that even the dogs looked at you with a kind of self- complacency. You thought the sun had a kind of sickly shine about it. Abont this time you came to the conclusion that yon would not accept the whole State of Illinois as a gift, and if you had the strength and means, you picked up Hannah and the baby and your traps, and went back " yander " to Injianny, Ohio, or old Kaintuck.
" And to-day the swallows flitting Round my cabin see me sitting Moodily within the sunshine, Just inside my silent door, Waiting for the ' ager,' seeming Like a man forever dreaming ; And the sunlight on mne streaming Throws no shadow on the floor ; For I am too thin and sallow To make shadows on the floor- Nary shadow any more!"
The above is no picture of the imagination. It is simply re- counting what occurred in hundreds of instances. Whole families would sometimes be sick at one time, and not one member scarcely
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
able to wait upon another. One widow lady on the Illinois river informs us that she lost nine children from this dreaded disease!
COOKING.
To witness the various processes of cooking in those days would alike surprise and amuse those who have grown up since cooking stoves and ranges came into nse. Kettles were hung over the large fire, suspended on trammels which were held by strong poles. The long-handled frying-pan was used for cooking meat. It was held on the fire by hand ; or, to save time, the handle was laid across the back of a chair. This pan was also used for baking short-cake. A better article was a cast-iron spider, which was set upon coals on the hearth. But the best thing for baking bread was the flat-bot- tomed bake-kettle, of greater depth, with closely fitting cast-iron cover, and commonly known as the " Dutch oven." With coals over and under it bread and buscuit would quickly and nicely bake. Turkeys and spare-ribs were sometimes roasted before the fire, sus- pended by a string, a dish being placed underneath to catch the drippings.
IMPLEMENTS.
The agricultural implements used by the first farmers here would in this age of improvement be great curiosities. The plow used was called the bar-share plow. The iron point consisted of a bar of iron about two feet long, and a broad share of iron welded to it. At the extreme point was a coulter that passed through a beam six or seven feet long, to which were attached handles of corresponding length. The mold-board was a wooden one split out of winding timber, or hewed into a winding shape in order to turn the soil over. Sown seed was brushed in by dragging over the ground a sapling with a bushy top. In harvesting the change is most strik- ing. Instead of the reapers and mowers of to-day, the sickle and cradle were used. The grain was threshed with a flail, or' trodden ont by horses or oxen.
WOMEN'S WORK.
The men were not called upon to endure alone all the hardships and labor of frontier life. The women also had their physical labor to perform, and much of it was quite arduous. Spinning was one of the common household duties. This exercise is one which few of the present generation of girls have ever enjoyed. The wheel used for spinning flax was called the " little wheel," to distinguish it from the " big wheel," used for spinning yarn. These stringed instruments furnished the principal music of the family, and were operated by our mothers and grandmothers with great skill, attained without pecuniary expense and with far less practice than is neces- sary for the girls of our period to acquire a skillful nse of their costly and elegant instruments.
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
The loom was not less necessary than the wheel. Not every house, however, in which spinning was done had a loom; but there were always some in each settlement who, besides doing their own weaving, did some for others. Settlers, having succeeded in spite of the wolves in raising sheep, commenced the manufacture of woolen cloth; wool was carded and made into rolls by hand-cards, and the rolls were spun on the " big wheel." We occasionally find now, in the houses of the old settlers, one of these big wheels, some- times used for spinning and twisting stocking yarn. They are turned with the hand, and with such velocity that it will run itself while the nimble worker, by her backward step, draws out and twists her thread nearly the whole length of the cabin. A common article woven on the loom was linsey, also called linsey-woolsey, the chain being linen and the filling woolen. This cloth was used for dresses for the girls and mothers. Nearly all the clothes worn by the men were also home-made. Rarely was a farmer or his son seen in a coat made of any other. If, occasionally, a young man appeared in a suit of "boughten " clothes, he was suspected of hav- ing gotten it for a particular occasion, which occurs in the life of nearly every man.
Not until the settlers had supplied themselves with the more use- ful articles of clothing and with edibles of various kinds, did wheat bread become a common article of food. It is true they had it earlier, but this was only served on extra occasions, as when visitors came, or on Sundays; and with this luxury they would have a lit- tle " store coffee." "The little brown jug " found a place in almost every home, and was often brought into use. No caller was per- mitted to leave the house without an invitation to partake of its contents.
PLEASURES OF PIONEER LIFE.
The history of pioneer life generally presents the dark side of the picture; but the toils and privations of the early settlers were not a series of unmitigated sufferings. No; for while the fathers and mothers toiled hard, they were not averse to a little relaxation, and had their seasons of fun and enjoyment. They contrived to do something to break the monotony of their daily life and furnish them a good, hearty laugh. Among the more general forms of amusement were the " quilting-bee," "corn-husking," "apple-par- ing," " log-rolling " and " house-raising." Our young readers.will doubtless be interested in a description of these forms of amuse- ment, when labor was made to afford fun and enjoyment to all par- ticipating. The "quilting-bee," as its name implies, was when the industrious qualities of the busy, little insect that "improves each shining hour " were exemplified in the manufacture of quilts for the household. In the afternoon ladies for miles around gathered at an appointed place, and while their tongues would not cease to play, their hands were as busily engaged in making the quilt; and desire was always manifested to get it out as quickly as possible,
Nathan A.
Menores
GRIGGSVILLE
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
for then the fun would begin. In the evening the gentlemen came, and the hours would then pass swiftly by in playing games or danc- ing. "Corn-huskings" were when both sexes united in the work. They usually assembled in a large barn, which was arranged for the occasion; and when each gentleman had selected a lady partner the husking began. When a lady found a red ear she was entitled to a kiss from every gentleman present; when a gentleman found one he was allowed to kiss every lady present. After the corn was all husked a good supper was served; then the "old folks " would leave, and the remainder of the evening. was spent in the dance and in having a general good time. The recreation afforded to the young people on the annual recurrence of these festive occasions was as highly enjoyed, and quite as innocent, as the amusements of the present boasted age of refinement and culture.
FURNITURE OF THE PIONEER CABINS.
The furniture of the cabin was as primitive as the occupants. In one corner-perhaps in two or three corners-were the bedsteads. These were your genuine "cottage bedsteads," made by boring one hole, say four feet from one corner of the cabin, into a " house-log," another hole, say six feet from the same corner, on another side; opposite these holes was set an upright post, usually a section from the body of a peeled sapling; in this post two holes would be bored at any desired height, and at right angles with each other; poles were inserted in these holes, making in this manner a square frame; over this frame was laid a covering of clapboards, or, as some de- nominated them, "shakes," and on top of this platform the bed was spread. The chairs were not exactly chairs, but three-legged stools or puncheon benches. The cupboard was literally a cup- board, being a puncheon supported by pins driven into holes in the house logs at some convenient corner. The boxes which had held the family dry goods while en route to the new country generally furnished the table, and a trough or troughs the meat and soap bar- rels. Hollow logs sawed into sections and provided with a pun- cheon bottom furnished a receptacle for meal, potatoes, beans, wheat, "and sich like truck "-to use the pioneer vernacular. The table was bounteously supplied with "samp," "lye hominy," "corn pone," honey, venison, pork, stewed pumpkin, wild turkey, prairie chicken and other game. Wheat bread, tea, coffee, and fruit-ex- cept wild fruit-were luxuries not to be indulged in except on special occasions, as a wedding or gala day. "Samp " was quite a frequent dish. It was made by burning a hole into some conven- ient stump in the shape of a mortar; this hole was filled with corn and pounded by a large pestle hung like theold-fashioned well-sweep pendent from a long pole, which was nearly balanced on an upright fork. This pole had a weight attached to one end and the pestle to the other; the weight would lift the pestle, while manual force was expected to bring it down. When the " samp " was pounded sufficiently, it was washed and boiled like rice.
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