USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon County, Ill. > Part 2
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But Mrs. Weber is entitled to a high place among the leading people of the state on her own merit.
For many years she has been a guiding spirit in literary and historical research work in Illinois.
She is librarian of the State Historical Library and secretary and treasurer of the Illinois State Historical Society. She has charge of the publication of the historical works issued by the li- brary, and has done much to preserve the priceless records of epoch making events in state and nation. She was appointed by Gov. Edward F. Dunne secretary of the Illinois Centennial Commission Jan), 1916. and the marked success of the various events held in connection with the celebration of the Illinois Centennial in 1918 was due in large measure to her leadership.
Her work will "illuminate the story of the state" through all the years to come.
Eileen Hochonour
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MRS. FRANCINE ELIZABETH PATTON came into state and national prominence when Governor Altgeld appointed her a member of the Woman's Board of Managers of the Chicago World's Fair, which office she filled with much credit to the state.
During her long and useful life she has been identified with many social, religious, and civic organizations.
In some of these she has been the organizer, and leader, lending her voice and her influence to the things that have been of the highest worth to the community.
She is still living in Springfield, Ill.
Eileen Hochnow
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MRS. EVA MUNSON SHITE was one of the most remarkable women of her day.
She was born in Konkton, Vt., July 3, 1843.
She was a woman of many gifts and used them all for the better- ment of mankind.
About 1877 she began to write and speak for the cause of Woman's Suffrage, and often appeared before legislative bodies in its behalf when it was moet unpopular.
She began giving oratorical contest medals to children in 1886; continued them in the Prohibition movement for six years; then for five years carried on the suffrage or Susan B. Anthony contests.
She was a writer of verse, and the composer of many vocal and instrumental selections. her greatest literary and musical work was "Woman in Sacred Song, " a book of hymns, religious poems, and sacred music by women, compiled and edited by Mrs. Smith, with an introduction by Francis E. Willard.
The greater part of her life was spent in Springfield, Illinois. She died in 1915.
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MRS. ELLA HUNTINGTON HENKEL was the daughter of one of Springfield's old and highly esteomed families.
About 1880 she graduated from the Boston Conservatory of music and made a national reputation as a singer.
She was in the prime of her carcer between 1880 and 1890 and during that period, and even later, she sang before many noted people, and for large audiences.
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Eiben Fachowon
KRS. NARY SPAULDING LEE was born in Springfield in 1879, and died in 1920.
She was active in all forms of social betterment, and interested in legislation that promoted them.
Eer home served as headquarters to women who came to the capital city to appear before the Legislature in behalf of industrial bills. She was President of the Springfield Woman's Trade Union League. To promote free kindergartens she organized and conducted a kindergarten in one of the city schools.
She was very active in Americanization work during the war, associated with Dr. Caroline Ledger of Chicago, and was chairman of the Women in Industry Committee of the State Council of Defense.
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MRS. MARY CAROLINE CUSLEY BROEN (Mrs. C. C. ) was president of the Presbyterian Syncdical Missionary Society of Illinois for twenty years. She died in Coctober 1919, and the Synodical Society has en- dowed a room in the Douw hospital, Feking, China, as a memorial to her.
She was assistant county chairman of Red Cross work during the war; was president of a local missionary society for ten years; president of the Woman's Club, five years, and an active member in other clubs.
. 1
Eileen Lodanou
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THE SUGAR CREEK COUTRY IN 1840.
By
LOSES GOODKIF WADSWORTH.
(The letters following were published in the Auburn ( 111.) Citizen, in the spring and summer of 1903.) - io. 1.
There are people yet living in the Sugar Creek territory whoee coming antedates that of the writer, but their number is very few, and they never, that I am aware of, write of the early days. It is upwards of 62 years since my first view of the scenes of Southern Sangamon, 1840, only 23 years after the erection of the first cabin in the county.
It seems wonderful that in a little more than e : core of years the entire timber line, from the "Upper Grove" to the mouth of the cree !: , should have been taken up and populated. The prairies, however, save a few orall fields bordering the forest line, still (and for years thereafter) might be seen in their virgin purity, ac they had lain for hundreds of years, few of the immigrants pos- cesning the temerity to pitch their cabine where they could scarcely shelter their stock from the cold of winter or the heat and flios of summer.
A list of the settlers of the ancaron reck country at the time of which I write, may bo of interest to the CITIES. readero, very "any of them being descend- ants of these early settlers. I shall be compelled, by lack of space, to 11 . it elf to the .?? r
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for - Une catalo up ic toler: compietc .
were mainly from entuely and ir inla, and & for from Mio and Terrorsee, with an scouti mal family from the Atlantic region.
The hurra ro cr 1340.
Rocca Davidson, Robert Smith, ardy atlin, Michael Gates and sons, Andrew and Peter, Jacob Rauch, John, James, Tavia, ". .. , and william alters, .illia-, Peyton, John and Leonard Faster, lijth /. John, .illiam
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N. and hathan West, John G. Shaeffer, Samuel Short, Dan- iel Dick, Capt. willlem Caldwell, and son william, Micajah Organ, Nathan and Washington Fletcher, Benjamin and Abram Lessler, Samuel XcElvain and sons, Wm. A., and James, L. 3. Richardson, John Roach and son William, James H. Pettis, Joseph Poley, John and Andrew Dill, Robert Orr and sons, Andrew and lexander S., William (3oss") Hilton, G. B. Walters, Col. James Fatton and sons, "m. V. and Tatthem, "'. Patton Henney, Joseph Moore and sons, Feuben and Morrison ""., Sim- eon , Gideon and Fenrod Vancil, Henry Shutt and sons, Jacob, Joseph and leney Jr., John Wallace, George h. "immer, Geo. Loving, Harmon Husband, Jeremy Forbes, Thomas W, Higgins, Philip .ineman, Henry Duke, Jergel Davis, Edward, David, Tp. D. C. B. Crow, David, Aca, George and Augustus Eastman, Im. 2. Fondey, Rev. im. C. Greenleaf, Joseph Grogan, Evan John, Elwood Ewing, ?, S. Carter, Daniel Wassnorth, (the foregoing eleven living in "old Auburn, ") Owen N'aynard, Samuel Timer, Silas Harlan and nephews, Elijah and Jehu Harlon, John French, Jared Carter, George Kennedy, !!. F. cannon, Job F. Harris, Noah, Thomas and Seth Mason, Ezra Barnes, Elijah Farlan, Sr., and sons, Na. P., Matthew and John A., Job Fletcher ( "squire") and Job Fletcher ("Cap- tain"), Jonas Kastner, Thomas Black and sons, David, John, Thomas, Jr., and Carter T., J. I. and H. C. A. Viney, Jc- seph Dodds, Sr., and sons, J. 5. Champer, Jonathan 3. Cole- man, and Ezekiel N. Drennan.
Ro. 2.
EARLY COLOR_" POPULATIC . -
within the memory of the CWTILL! readers there have been no colored residents facile the territory ec- braced In these sketches. In 1340 there were three, all "rought fron Tontucky, I believe, by the families with whom they lived. Sept. william "Ald, ell had a . an called Josh, and when the family, in 1340, moved to the fam in Curran township ( the present residence of the Captain's grandson, Non. B. F. Caldwell, ) Josh, of course, went too, and at the Captain's death, his son, John, who had core from Groene County, succeeded to the charge of Josh, and after his death his son, B. F., became the man's benefactor. Josh died some years ago at an advanced age.
A negro girl, named Polly, lived in Joseph PO- ley's family, and another named Julia, in -lex, Cassity's family. Whether they died, married, or went away, I have forgotten, but it must be nearly or quite helf a century
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since the disappearance of both from this vicinity.
BRIEFLY BIOGRACHICAL.
"any Incidents might be related of those early days that would be of interest to the readers of this paper, a few of which I will mention. Some of them will be found in "Power's Old Settlers' History," which, by-the-way, a goodly number of those who read these let- ters, have never seen.
Jacob Rauch was a native of Stuttgart, Ger- many, and came, a young man of 22, to America, in 1816. Having no money to pay his passage ($70 being the price, ) he was put up at auction, after his arrival in Philadel- phis, according to a law in those days, to secure the pas- sase money. A merchant Named Clapper, bought him and he was indentured for three years to reimburse his purchas- er. Nie was sent to Alabama, and put at boat building, but he was so ill-treated, both as regards work and food, that human nature revolted, and he ran away, six months before the expiration of his probation. He went to Luhlenburg County, Kentucky, where, in 1824, he was married to :'1ss Fauline Foley, sister of Joseph Foley. In the fall of 1829 they emigrated to what is now the south end of Auburn Town- ship, where "'r. Rauch entered three-fourths of section 33. Sugar Creek running through his land, he built a water grist and saw mill, with which he ground out flour, meal and lumber for his neighbors, until his death in 1843, af- ter which his son, Charles, long continued the business.
Certain William Caldwell obtained hig title from the comrand of a company from Jencarine county, er .- tucky, in the war of 1612. He was aftemari autriff of sald county, and served several terms in the . entucty leg- islature, and two terme in the fliinois general assembly. Captain Caldwell died in 1844, of cancer, from which he suffered for years. The writer remembers him as a portly man of fine appearance. He was a Can of much public spir- it, and was highly respected by all.
Herry Chutt, Sr., was one of the most patriarch- cal appearing men I ever saw. He wore & lons full beard, and was exceedingly amiable and even-tempered ben. He came from "uhlenberg County, "y., in 1829, and died in 1852 at about the age of his youngest son, Henry Jr., (present) 59 yrs.
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Colonel dames Patton received his title from his early connection with military affairs. He was a native of Baltimore, and born on St. Patrick's Day, 1791. . Coming to Kentucky with his parents in childhood, he learned the tanner's trade, which he followed in Chris- tian County, in that state, where be settled in 1810. The family came to this township in 1820, whore the Colonel entered a tract of land and resumed the tanner's trade. He was a man of great generosity and kindliness of heart, and was a friend and helper to all needy imigranta. He died at & good old age.
No. 3.
Lewis S. Richardson was one of the early arriv- als, his father coming to the county in 1324. He was mar- ried twice, and reared a large family. David A. Richard- son, of Virden, and Urs. C. T. Eurphy, of Auburn, fruits of his second marriage, are the only ones of his children living in the state. L'e was an occasional preacher of the Baptist faith, and though blunt in his discourses and con- versation, was a man of incorruptible integrity. While a young man, he was out duck :- hunting one spring day, when, in discharging his flintlock gun at a bird, the breechpin blew out and found lodgment in his skull, just above the oye. Ceveral persons tried, ineffectually, to pull it out with a pair of pincero, when he, becoming indignant at their failure, ejaculated: "Give me them pincers," and siezing the implement, he, with a jerk, drew out the ugly piece of iron. The frightful wound would, no doubt, have killed some people, but he was a man of iron constitution and good habits, and rapidly recovered from the hurt, but one eye was twisted out of shape as long as he lived.
Samuel "cilvain, born in Virginia, in 1794, went to Alcir county, Ty., while & young och, and was one of "old Hickory's" famous Kentucky troops at the battle of : ew Crieans, when but 20 years of age; returned to hen- tucky, and was married there to ise Finelope /beil. A12 of their five children were born in that sunte. The fam :- ly came to Auburn tornehip in 1828. A Presbyterian church was organized at his house in 1830, and "r. "'chlvain was a ruling elder of the sabe until his death in 1888. The fam- ily lived in a large log house, on the stage road, and I remember the sign on & tall pole in front of the house, "En- tertainment by s. : halvain." The apostrophe was so small that at a little distance it wee indistinguishable, and strangers passing would read it, "s. "elvain."
Eilien Schengen
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Thomas Black emigrated from South Carolina, where he was born in 1768, to Christian County, Kentucky, and to Sangamon County, Illinois, in 1819. He settled shout three miles west of the present town of Auburn, where he built a hopse-and-ox mill, which ground grain for his neighbors for many years. He died in 1851, at the age of 34.
Philip Fineman came from his birthplace, (Botetourt County, Virginia, )to the "ugar Creck country in 1823, was twice married, ad died an octogenarian. While yet a young mon, he worked hard to accumulate means to buy some land, making rails at 25 and 30 cents a hundred. At his death he was one of the most exten- sive land owners in South Sangamon. He laid out the east side of the present village of Auburn, under the na e of ""ineman," (which was merged, years later, into the town of Auburn. )
Edward and illiam D. Crow for many years conducted a saw and frist mill on the creek, near where A. G. Garber and sisters now live. Their father, Robert Grow, built the original mill, and after his death his sons rebuilt it. Seing unable to run it but a limited portion of the year, for lack of water, they sold it to Caleb Feacock, about 1850, ord built a steam mill about 8 miles farther down the creek, which continued to run years after the death of both the brothers.
Jatthem F. Kenney, a native of Christian County, Kentucky, and a nephew of Col. James fatton, came to the township in 1327. He died in the prime of manhood, in 1851, aged 43. He was a very tall man, be- ing about the height of braham Lincoln, and had the longest and mort zurcular Hand I ever sar on & human be- ing. in the sith chop invia Auburn, was a casting, call-
e3 & -andrel. It was about & inches in diameter at the base, und some two feet high, tapering uprarj to a point, its une being to chape banda and rings upon. r. Kenney was the only patron of the shop who could take the heavy casting by the top with his right hand, and sling it across the shop. hone of his six sont approached him in altitude or strength.
10. 4.
Penrod, Gideon and rimeon Vancil were sons of Samuel Vancil, the first settler in what now constitutes Auburn tomohip. Born in Virginia in 1768, he came to San-
Eileen Gabawow
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Eamon in the autumn of 1818, settling upon the land now know as the Wimmer place, about a mile southeast of the present Auburn. The first marriage in the township was that of Gid- eon Vancil gnd Feraby hilson, in 1820. The Vancils now liv- ing in the vicinity are descendants of Penrod Vancil, Chas. "'., of Auburn, being & grandson. Simeon, the youngest of the three brothers, died in 1875, aged 70. He was, although uneducated, of unusual intellectual capacity, and delighted to entertain his friends, and it was a genuine treat to lis- ten to his graphically told tales of Sangamon's early days. He was a wara friend of the writer of these reminiscences, and whenever the latter was a candidate for a township of- fice, "r. Vancil was wont to say: "He isn't of my politics, but I'm going to vote for him as long as I live." (For the little bit of vanity exposed in the foregoing, the reader will kindly pardon the undersigned. )
David Eastman, a native of L'aine, born in 1794, came to the county in about 1836. Be bought land just east of the old town of Auburn, (the place now owned by William Schwalm) and being a tanner by trade, established a tanyard there, which he carried on until his death in 1844. W.en the old " 'acoupin foint" stage route was abandoned and the one through Auburn established, thus abrogating the Lugar Creek postoffice, Mr. Eastman was appointed postmaster of Auburn.
Asa and George Eastman, brothers of David, laid out "Old Auburn, " in 1835, and poved thither from ia- verly, in 1340. "any lots were sold, but for many years an incubus hung over the place, in the shape 6 & mortgage on the land, given to secure the purchase money. Then the Al- ton & Sangamon Railroad (now the Chicago & Alton) went through in 1852, the survey was so far west of the village, thet it was abandoned as a town, although not without a vi :- orous and persistent effort to establish the new town in odi- ately east of the old, so as to connect the tro. The effort failed, and the new town was laid out on land owned by : hilip .. ineran. Some time in the early sixties, Ans Lastman (his brother George boing dead, ) applied to the legislature to have . Id Auburn vacated as a village, he having previously bought back the lots that had been sold many years before, and the land was restored to its original status as farming land. I may add that there were never more than seven or eicht dwell- ings in the place, the most pretentious of which was a two- story tavern, kept in 1840, by i'm. S. Swaney, whose name, I find, was omitted in my roster of the early residents.
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Rev. Wm. C. Greenleaf was a native of Newbury- port, "ass., but educated in l'aine, where he married. Be- ing afflicted with asthma, he came to Illinois, hoping for better health. He established a nursery in Auburn, and for years he provided the people of the community with fruit trees, preaching occasionally, when requested, though he re- ceived no compensation for such services. In 1945, he moved to Chatham, Dr. J. R. Lewis having presented him with ten acres of land for nursery purposes, and he became pastor of the Chatham Presbyterian church. Later, he removed to Spring- field, where he died of cholera, in 1851. He was a scholarly and most excellent man, and much beloved.
Daniel Wadsworth, who came from his native state of j'aine in 1840, was about seven months old when George Washington died, in 1799. He was appointed postmaster of Auburn during Tyler's administration, in 1841, and resign- ed the office in 1853, after it had been transferred to the new town. His coming to Sangamon County was largely due to the influence of David Eastman (the two men and their wives having been intimate friends in l'aine.) Though reared among the Friends for Quakers, ) he united with the Methodist church when & youns men. At his death in 1888, in his 90th year, he had been a frater of the l'asonic order about 66 years.
No. 5.
I neglected to say in my mention of the Eastman brothers, that Asa and George, in 1840, operated a steam flouring mill on what is now known as "Duck's Branch, " into- diately weat of where the C. & A. track crosses it on .". Schwalm's land. It was short-lived, and the engine and ma- chinery were moved to Springfield, in 1841, and formed part of the outfit of a mill built by James . Lamb and . sa East- man in the south part of the city, and did business for many years under the name of the "city ill." The mention of the Auburn mill reminds me that in 1340, one of the men sorkins in it was im. B. Fondey, who afterwards became somewhat prom- inent as adjutant of the regiment of Col. L. r. Baker (after- wards Gen. Baker, and killed at Wall's Bluff, ) in the l'exican war. I'r. Fondey was a native of Albany, N. Y., and was well educated. The story was told that he had been a clerk in a
Galena bank, and that on one occasion when he had been allow-
ed a day or two off, not returning as soon as expected, he had been discharged. He had come to Waverly, at the age of 20, to visit his cousin, "'rs. A. Eastman, and had consented to take employment in the Auburn mill, where he remained un- til after it was removed to Springfield. After peace with lexico, he returned to Springfield, married, and went into
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business, and the sign of Opdyke & Fondey on the south side of the square confronted the eye for years. "r. Fondey died in the early sixties.
Owen Maynard came from Baltimore in the late thirties, and conducted a small grocery in Old Auburn until 1840, when he bought of John Roach the farz, two miles north of the village, now sometimes called the "Little Noah "ason Farm." "'r. Maynard married David Eastman's only daughter, and settled down on said farm. He was elected justice of the peace, and was repeatedly re-elected. In 1849, a brother from Mississippi had been visiting him, and on the latter's return home Esq. l'aynard took him in a bugsy as far as Alton. The cholera was pre- vailing at the time, and Esq. L'aynard contracted the dis- ease. He returned home sick, and died almost immediately.
Most of the readers of this paper have heard of the "Donner Party," most of whom miserably periched of cold and starvation while crossing the plains in 1846. George Donner, one of the principal promoters of the expedition, had two sisters who lived and died in the "Sugar Creek Country, " viz: "rs. "icajah Organ and Vrs. Lydie Walters. The mother of G. B. Walters was also a sister.
Job Fletcher, Sr., born in Virginia in 1793, was one of the earliest settlers, coming from Christian County, Fy., in the autumn of 1819, having been married the previous year. At 19 years of age he served in the war of 1812. Lsq. Fletcher was fairly educated, for thet Say, and being a good writer the people care from far and near to get him to write deeds, mortages, wills, letters, notes, etc., services for which he always refused compensa- tion. Ne alrays claimed to have taught the first school in the county, in 1820 or 1821, and he was a teacher in the first Sunday school in the county, in the old log Sugar Creek meeting house, in 1325. Log. Fletcher was one of the famous "long line, " who were to influential (at the legis- lative session of 1836-7) in moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield, he and Archer Herndon being state senators, and Abraham Lincoln being one of the seven men- bers of the lower house. Esquire Fletcher died in 1872,
Capt. Job Fletcher, nephew of the above, was
born in Virginia, and came to Sangamon County in 1830. He held e commission as captain from the governor of Kentucky, in which etate he lived about five years.
Capt. Fletcher used to relate that he and din
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Lewis (another early comer) hauled sixteen wagon loads of smoked hams and shoulders to St. Louis, selling the meat for $1.50 to $2.00 a hundred pounds. At the same time, they had to pay fifty cents a pound for their coffee, twenty-five for sugar, and fifty cents a yard for calico. Corn at that time was worth & picayune (6; cents) & bush- el, or four cents in the field.
I have sketched but few of the early rreidents. There are many others fully as prominent as those written of, but as there is much in the way of incident, early hab- its, customs, etc., to be touched upon, I will bring the biographical department to a close.
No. 5.
Some twenty odd years since, the undersubscribed furnished a series of reminisconces for the columns of the CITIZEN, entitled "Auburn and Vicinity Forty Years Ago." large portion of the present readers of the paper were not readers of it then, and those of them who were, will kindly be considerate should they find in the succeeding numbers of this series repetitions of many things then written. St any rate they can escape being bord by not reading ther.
EARLY DWELLINGS.
In this region in 1840 there were scarcely any houses save those constituted of logs. These were not all mere cabins. Many of them were quite pretentious, being built of hewed loss, and someti-es having upper storics. Frequently there was an open passage-way between the two lower rooms, of six to eight feet in width. Tost of the dwellings, however, were built of round logs, and contain- ed but one room, of sixteen or cichteen feet square. The spaces between the logs tere chinled and daubed (filled with split sticks and plastored with clay. ) The floors were "puncheon" --- planks split fros straight-grained 2018 and hemed. any of the cabins hed no winjoks, but cold or hot, the door was left open, except in stormy weather. The roof was laid with split clap-boards, of three or four feet long, not nailed, but imld in place by "weight poles" across each course. held
Of course after every high wind the roof had to be readjusted. The chimney was built outside at one end of the cabin, of sticks split for the purpose, and laid up like a rail pen in cluy or mud mortar; the fireplaces were four feet or more in width, for large fires vere in-
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