History of Sangamon 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 74

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon 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 74

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

On the conclusion of Mr. Herndon's address, the meeting adjourned for dinner, after which short speeches, recounting the time of their ar- rival, reminiscences of their early life here, and amusing anecdotes, were delivered by George R. Weber, Godbey, D. W. Clark, M. K. Ander- son and others.

Alexander B. Irwin was re-elected President; M. K. Anderson, Vice-President; E. C. Matheny, Secretary.

TENTH ANNUAL MEETING.

The tenth re-union was held at Loami, Sep- tember 4, 1877. The number estimated present on the occasion was from five to seven thousand. The meeting was called to order by William McGinnis, and prayer offered by Rev. J. G. White. James M. Turpin delivered the address of welcome. John T. Stuart was then intro- duced as the orator of the day. The address of Mr. Stuart will be found on page 194.

At the conclusion of Mr. Stuart's address, Al- exander B. Irwin, of Pleasant Plains, delivered one of his pleasant, off-hand talks. After din- ner R. W. Diller read one of Will Carlton's poems, "Betsy and I are out," in a style that would have done credit to a professional elocu- tionist.

Preston Breckenridge, an ex-President of the society, and John Carroll Power, the historian, were introduced together. Mr. Breckenridge said: "Mr. Power, I have the pleasure of pre- senting you, on behalf of myself and other friends of yours among the early settlers, with a copy of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, as a slight token of your herculanean labor of writing and publishing your History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County." Then, turning to the andience, he continued by express- ing the opinion that it had no equal in any county in the State, and perhaps not in the United States, and that in fifty years from now it would be consulted with even greater interest than at the present time.

Mr. Power responded by saying that he was placed in a position requiring him to make an Old Settler's speech, a thing that he never ex- pected to do in his life, that he could not do the subject justice, but that he would treasure the work as a reminder of two of the most pleasant years of his life-the two years spent in visit- ing from house to house among the early set- tlers, while gathering material for the history. "Ordinarily," said he, "I would recommend every family in the United States to supply themselves, first, with the Bible and then with a copy of this dictionary; but for Sangamon county a good library would be a copy each of the Bible, Dictionary, and the History of the Early Settlers of this county."

Characteristic speeches were then made by Reverends J. G. White and J. L. Crane. Mrs. Elizabeth Harbour was introduced and some events of her life related by William McGinnis. At ten years of age she was with her parents in Hill's Fort, near what is now Greenville, Bond county, and witnessed the fight that took place

458

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

there August 27, 1814, when the Indians under- took to capture the fort. She saw Thomas Hig- gins as near shot and cut to pieces as a man could be and live; she also saw John Journey, John Grates, and Major William Hewitt killed, the latter of whom was in command of the fort. Mrs. Harbour had with her the chain used by her father, Simon Lindley. After the town of Springfield was laid out there was a discrepancy between that town and the former town of Cal- houn. Mr. Lindley was called on to re-survey it, which he did, harmonizing all differences. She keeps that chain as an heirloom. Mrs. Harbour also remembers the Indian ranger who died and was buried, September, 1813, at Sulphur Springs cemetery. His name was William Hewitt.

Davis Meredith was elected President, and E. C. Matheny, Secretary for the ensuing year.

ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING.

The following account of the Old Settlers' Meeting, on the occasion of the eleventh annual meeting, held at Pleasant Plains, August 22, 1878, is taken from the Sangamo Monitor, and was doubtless written by the editor:

"The day was only a little too hot for com- fort, but pleasant when the shade was found, and the cooling breezes fanned the brow and converted the shade of the tall trees of the forest into howers of comfort. These retreats for the weary ones who sought them to rest their bones or talk over events and stir up mem- ories full of pleasure to both the narrator and listener, were perfect havens of rest to many an old settler on the occasion.

"The grounds had been well selected and but few places present so many natural invitations to partake of its shades and grassy carpet, to enjoy the gentle zephyrs that waft themselves through the magnificent foliage as that of the grove selected by the committee for the purpose of celebrating the nineteenth anniversary of the organization of the Old Settlers' Association of Sangamon county. The stand stood in the south of the amphitheatre, protected from the rays of Old Sol, and decorated with green boughs and emblems of the free. It was so arranged as to accommodate the patriarchal portion of the association, and those who were to take part in the services to add another pleasure to declining days and a new ray of hope to fading lives.

"On the right were seated the choir, selected and trained for the occasion by Professor Griffin, one of the most indefatigable and patient vocal instructors in the county. This choir is made up of not a few who have made reputation for

voice and musical talent, in other days and on similar occasions. Its composition is as follows: Miss Fannie Meredith, organist; leading so- prano, Miss Ida Crow, Misses Belle Johnson, Ettie Shoup, Lizzie Stout and Mollie Forbes; alto, Misses Delia Herndon and S. J. Lockridge; tenor, Clark Dragoo, Will Knotts, William Dodds and J. R. Lockridge; basso, C. C. and E. R. Headley, Job Megrady and George Harnett. During the day's performance the choir per- formed in a most decidedly musical and popular manner the following programme: 'Glory to the New Born King,' ' Love Divine,' 'The IIunters,' ' Pilgrim Fathers,' 'Hold Your Head Up Like a Man,' 'My Boyhood,' and closed the day with ' Merrily Onward We Bound.' Too much can- not be said of the pleasure contributed by these ladies and gentlemen in the exercise of a talent which none who heard their efforts can refuse to accord to each of them.

"On the left sat the 'cause of it all,' the ven- erable and honorable landmarks of the past to whom the present are indebted for all the glory of a Christianized civilization. As they sat there with uncovered craniums, some of them as hairless as a billiard ball, others with silvered strands flowing as gracefully as the flaxen wave- lets from the head of infancy, a new veneration for age seemed to possess the youthful portion of the vast throng as they would speak the names of their grand sires in the most reverential tones of affection and tenderness.

" We saw there the venerable, and we might add handsome, President of the Association, Davis Meredith, Esq., with the honors of forty- nine Illinois winters whitening his locks. Pres- ton Breckenridge, Esq., with forty-four years of labor in the soil of Suckerdom to entitle him to honor from her sons and daughters; and Joshua Dillon, John Miller, Nathan Carson, Maxwell Campbell, William Batterton, Isaac Wallace, Abner Knotts, John Gaines, James Parkinson, Jacob Epler, Samuel Williams, Robert Cum- mings, R. W. Diller, the patriarchal Captain Job Fletcher, and the returned pilgrim to other lands, who fifty years since was the ruling spirit of the young and vigorous manhood of Springfield, Major Mobley, and Alexander Irwin, John Har- rison, Logan McMurry, B. E. Baker, William M. Butler, John Slater, Mat Cartwright, Thomas and John Garrett, two of as noble representa- tives from the Isle Erin as ever made a track in a furrow and lived to enjoy the fruit of their hon- est toil. And there sat John Lightfoot with the flowing beard, the youngest old man in America, and the tall form of William Yates was seen

459

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

looming above the others, and D. G. Kalb, the well proserved old settler of Round Prairie. These were on the stand as specimen bricks from the 'Kiln of Time' during the times that might well be said to have 'tried men's souls.' These were not all of the 'old folks at home' who had come out to the 'Eating Bee' at the Plains, and as we stroll around the 'grounds we shall try to introduce some of them to you.

"It is a little remarkable that it should be, and not so much to be wondered at either, that all picnics must be decorated with chin music. But it is deplorably the case that the programme of fifty years since must still be religiously ad- hered to, if it ' break a trace.' The speaking was not so numerous as it should have been, al- though some of the very best.

" The Rev. John Slater was never more happy than when welcoming the vast crowd to the hos- pitality of his fellow citizens of the Plains and the Association. We have such an utter repug- nance to the publication of speeches on snch occasions that we never allow ourselves to take more than outlines, on the principal that they are made like Tom Lewis' butter used to be made-for present nse-and those not there were the losers, while those who heard them are satisfied. Brother Slater's speech was well- timed, sensible and well spoken, just as those who know him would expect him to perform a task of the kind, and we will cover the whole case in a word, when we say it was pleasing to those who heard it and detracted no laurel from the Rev. Johns' brow, earned in days gone by.

"Judge Matheny was an ' Old Settler' in earn- est, dealing in reminiscences of the days of puncheon floors and honest people, delivered in the conversational or narrative style. It was full of the most graphic and pleasing incidents of men and the times and held his audience like a vice. We have too much regard for Colonel Matheny to mar the pleasure he gives an audi- ence of any character by attempting to place on paper the peculiar phraseology and the more pe- culiar Matheny-oratory with which he gives his speeches to his hearers.

"Of him it may be said more truthfully than of any other speaker we now have in remembrance, ' his speeches must be heard to be fully and de- servedly appreciated.'

"If success in first forcing the human face into its greatest length by some serious line into which he may choose to lead his listeners; then spreading their mouths like the lease of a poor man from ear to ear, now o'ercasting their face with the most sympathizing cast of countenance

and causing the briny messengers of grief to chase each other down the furrowed and fat cheek alike, then banishing gloom as the God of day would the mist of a foggy morn, is effective speaking, then our County Judge and cherished Matheny is your man; but dont ask the Monitor man to waste time and printers' ink in an effort to report him. We will leave that to newspa- pers whose reporters believe in quantity and not quality.

"Mr. James Stout's recitation was well done, well received, and reflected credit on the good taste of the gentleman, both in the selection and recitation of the poem.

""'Out of the old house into the new,' by the worthy son of a noble sire, Rev. W. H. Milburn, the 'sightless orator of America,' whose face and form begin to show the marks of time- since he first aroused in the souls of his hearers of years ago, a holy love and veneration for the God in whose service he had embarked-was among the many attractive features. He is still the soul of eloquence, the fountain of oratory, who with his mine of finished gems, when un- locked by the key of some soul-inspiring theme, has astonished thousands in his native land, and by our neighbors over the waves which separate the continents, established his repute as one of the most gifted of America's orators.

"As we beheld him in his graceful gestures with his rivited audience hanging on every word uttered, leaning to catch his brilliant gems of thought as they left him clothed in the most at- tractive style, we scarcely knew which to most admire, the genius of the speaker or the respect- ful attention of his hearers. His speech fur- nished food for thought, which we doubt not will be carried to many a home, and, like the bread cast upon the waters, the work of the ' blind man eloquent' will be seen growing in many a homestead when he has filled the meas- ure of his days and gone to gaze upon the scenes of Heaven, of which the beauties he is now de- prived of seeing are but the faintest type.

" Rev. Mr. Short, of Jacksonville, we learned, made another speech after the meeting had been announced as closed, and many had gone, but which we also were informed was well received. These comprised the services at the stand, ex- cept in one particular. The music of Butler's Band was no small factor in making the attrac- tions at that and other points during the day. The band was out in full force, and never played better to a more admiring crowd. Indeed, the performance at the Old Settlers' pic-nic would have been tame, had it not been for the inspir-

53-

460

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

ing notes from the instrumental efforts of this reputable band. Their playing was timely, music appropriate, and in no company of players can be found those more proficient in their calling. WHAT OF THE DINNER?

"Ah! gentle reader of the Monitor, this ac- count would be incomplete and a failure, most inglorious, did we allow the very thing above all others for which the Old Settlers and the new settlers were bent on doing in style when they started for the grounds on yesterday morning. To get a good view of an Old Settlers' pic-nic, or, in fact, any kind of a pic-nic, you have got to take them at feeding time. Now, to do this, by a hungry reporter, is no small task. It re- quires a good deal of self-sacrifice, and as news- paper men are supposed by some people to sub- sist on wind, we thought we would not rob them of the delusion, by being caught in an attempt to fill our yearning vacuum. We took a cold snack from our friend, Tom White, of the Plains, and with Faber in hand and Ed. Bierce to hold copy, we made a dash around to see who was there and what they ate.

"W. G. and Oscar and Aunt Jane Purvines, E. S. Bone, and Tom White were trying to fill Uncle Joe Ledlie, Ed. Bierce, and the hungri- est-looking newspaper man on the ground. They were abundantly repayed, however, by the solemn style of the newspaper man's vote of thanks for their success in astonishing Bierce with a square meal, and fattening Unele Joe until his best friends fail to recognize him. Mr. Sam Valen- tine and family were hiding chicken on the double quick style, with a board fence to keep them away from Ben Trenary, Billy Parker, A. C. Smith, and their families, consisting of abont forty-seven young Rock Creekers, all in good health.

"Then we spied Charlie Watson and his esti- mable better half, fooling away about sixty-five pounds of wholesome and delicious, in an effort to inflate Ezra White, Garret Elkin, and a squad of . Pharaoh's lean kine' of folks of the Ed. Bierce stripe of eaters.

"There sat Jack Gardner and his family, en- gaged in a similar sport. Then we ran head first against ' Hi' Gardner, trying to get rich keeping boarding house with Ben Caldwell, Colonel Mobley, Henry Latham, Will Gardner, of Chatham, and all their families, particularly Henry Latham's. As we left the scene, we pitied Miss Kendel, Miss Gardner, and some young lady friends who were well-nigh worked out in their effort, and Ben Caldwell's little blonde baby crying for more.

"And there sat John Hardin and Billy Barrett foraging on one of Sangamon's cleverest men, Wm. Stitt, who had called to his aid Berryman Hurt, Esq., and still failed, for Hardin was coax- ing our old friend Epler, whose white table cloth gleamed with chicken and ham, to give him a drum-stick to chew on. Had it not been for Squire Hamilton, Purvines, Ware, and their families, who protected friend Epler, we guess John would have got enough.

"There sat J. P. Smith, Joe Hayes, Dr. Ather- ton, Dan Staples, of Beardstown, a relic of the Black Hawk times, and Johnny Wolgamot, with their families, looking for all the world as if they had been boarding with Noah in the Ark, and the provisions had given out after twenty days of the storm.

" Here we are in front of Will Converse and Tom Little, and the old gentleman, Henry Con- verse, with children, grand-children, and great numbers of children, swinging in a hammock, and eating 'yaller-legs,' until they all looked like Methodist preachers, particularly Grandpa Tom.

" 'How are you?' said we, as approaching a nest of crows with more mooves than any county can turn out, and more to eat than would have fed a whole company of clever folks like 'em.

"Then we saw Old Man Yeakle and Squire Waddle trying to outeat Hardy Conant. Captain Bradford was at the same time performing a friendly office in helping a lady friend who had eaten until she got down with the exercise.

" If one desired to see a company of 'old set- tlers' when they tackled a table, behold the array: Captain L. Smith, George McMurphy, F. B. Smith, S. L Lindsey, B. O. Pearl and Cash Lynch, assisted by several other good judges of ' wittles well done'-of the female persuasion. Ah! there is my friend H. Fayart, and our friend Shibley and their families, taking the rural snack and washing it down with pure juice of the grape. 'No, I thank you, we have had our din- ner or you bet we would;' and we pass on.

" Ed. Elkin and Joe Reavely, Will Mowery and Harm Gatten, and several other fellows just as hungry looking as Ed., are making the grub look as if the table had been struck by a tor- nado, and no help arrived.

" Then John Harnett, J. H. Classpill, Rev. Wilson and Professor Griffin had been running a boarding house for the tuneful ones who fur- nished the music. But it was no go. Mrs. Pond and Miss Annie Wilson, and Thomas Wilson, the Grand Marshal, all looked weary in well do- ing, and the voice of the singer still sang for more.

461

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

"Here is Our Own Humphrey, of Farming- dale, with his happy family under a tree, hiding a few things of a delicious flavor to stay nature.

" Pearson Roll, Martin Rites, W. J. Shroyer and several others are trying the same little game on themselves.

"Look what an appetite for the good things Hense Robinson still possesses.

" Who said Judge Matheny was backward or diffident in the presence of a spring chicken when robbed of its clothing?

" But here is the place to get a nice dinner. It is on watermelon, or at least that is all the Monitor man saw them investigating when he took a view of their table, about eleven feet long and covered with melons. Misses Ida Hughes, Frankie London, Helen Sanders, Dora Adams, and her sisters, Miss Caddie Priest, and Messrs. Saunders, Dow Matheny, M. Furlong, Sam Runyan, and Elliott, all taking melon straight.

"We became so tired watching others we give it up before we got around, and concluded to stand and see who were there and what they were at. Old settlers began to crowd around us, who we failed to see on the stand, and many was the grasp of the hand we gave and took as we met our friend Captain R. H. Constant, of Black Hawk fame. There goes Bob Pirkins. Here comes Bill Springer, as happy as a new nominee. Henry Converse shakes with Hardin Ellmore, S. Q. Harrison passes looking as young as he did twenty years since.

"We spied Wm. Lynn, Riley Pirkins, Wm. Houghton and 'Hickory,' his brother, Squire Fink, and Ellis Wilcox with his cane, and Henry Foster, George Harmon, both no older, only more hairless; Isaac Hawley and Billy Burch, from the city; Peter Cox, from Ball; Billy Brown, who must now be considered an O. S., from Berlin; Newt. Purvanse, Thomas Watts, and here comes George Trumbo and our friend Hall, from Mechanicsburg. How do you do, Mr. Arnold and M. A. Carter, of the Plains. John Hardin is now an O. S .; and so also is Harness Trumbo and Henry Bugg, 'Brug.' Pirkins and J. B. Pirkins when he can boast of a big grand- son.

"Here is Thomas Hessy and John DeCamp and Zim Enos and Doc. Jayne-all ripe Old S.'s. So is Tom Averett and Tom Talbott, and 'Doc' with his family of great big sons and lovely daughter.

"Here is Mrs. Dillon and Mrs. Renshaw and a whole host of old ladies whose venerable appear- ance bears evidence of having seen this world

away back at a period which makes them connt their days by the seventy and eighty years.

"There stands Joshua F. Amos, one of the first carpenters that ever struck Springfield; James L. Hill, John Fagan, C. W. Van Deren and Christian Crow, from Cass county; and there is Ed Watts and his family, and our farmer friend, Elliott B. Herndon, Esq., who, with his better half, had viewed the land between Springfield and the plains behind the faithful horse. Here comes John A. Miller, of Rochester, and Ira Winchell, the honest smith, Mr. and Mrs. Ben- nett, from east of the city, and here is our friend J. M. Turpin, from Loami, and W. F. Foley, B. F. Short and B F. Cummings, who were both born about the same time and came to the State together.

" And here is a whole batch we struck from Rochester: M. D. McCoy, George Green, Wm. Derry, Wm. Whiteside, J. T. Twist, Wm Taft, J. S. Highmore, D. T. Ott, J. Alcott. H. John- son, H. Fairchild, J. Poffenbarger, Dr. Babcock, N. Campbell, S. Williams, C. Humphry, J. Gra- ham, G. Forden, John Johnson, H. Clark, Sam- uel Johnson, J. Everhart, Joe Miller, George Deyo, N. Deyo.

"Young settlers who demanded some of our attention while passing around: Miss Dora Bennett and the Misses Bevens, Jas. A. Wins- ton, Dr. Correll, Mrs. McElhany, Miss Burchett, Mrs. Sibley, Mrs. Fayart and Mrs. Cross-pass- ing around on a review of the outside world, wherein peanuts, pop-corn, patent blacking, horse swings.and rope-walking were the attrac- tions, and in which they were joined by nearly the entire young settlers and all of the old.

" Mrs. S. H. Richardson, the Misses Fink, our old friends of twenty years since, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Tomlin, and Mrs. Dr. Harrison and her two single daughters and married one, Mrs. Beekman. The very prince of old settlers, Noah Mason, Esq., and Ben. Caldwell and Al. Watts trying to find out which of the babies had the blondest head of hair. Marshal Stevens and our very clever young lady friends, Miss Julia Routh and Julia Frohner, Mrs. Whitcomb, Mrs. Maxwell and the venerable wife of the new President of the society, Mrs. Campbell, Bob Hazlett and Miss Belle Bradford and a thousand others we have not room to name."

Maxwell Campbell was elected President of the society for the ensuing year, and James HI. Matheny, Secretary.

TWELFTH ANNUAL MEETING.

The following is the Illinois State Register's account of this meeting:

462

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

" The annual reunion of the Sangamon County Old Settlers' Society was held on Wednesday, the 20th ult., in Abell's grove, just north of the pleasant village of Rochester, and it proved to be a grand success in every point of view. The day was fine, although a trifle warm, the attend- ance was immense, and the exercises were of a more interesting character, if possible, than is usual on such occasions. The committee, as- sisted by the good people of Rochester, had made ample preparations for the accommodation of the crowd. A stand for the speakers and musi- cians had been erected, seats sufficient to accom- modate a large number of people were in position, and a number of barrels of ice water had been provided. The people from the surrounding country came flocking in at quite an early hour in the forenoon; a large crowd went ont on the Ohio & Mississippi road on the nine o'clock train, another on the ten-thirty train, and still another on the one p. m. train. The appearance of the ground did not differ materially from what one is accustomed to see on such occasions. There were acres of horses and vehicles, and 'oceans' of people-old people, middle aged people, young people, men, women and children -rich men and poor men, stylishly dressed women, with the flush of health on the cheek and the sparkle in the eye-women-good old mothers of Israel, with furrowed cheek and age- dimmed eye. Then there were the usual number of refreshment stands and catch-penny contriv- ances that have been so often seen and just as often described, and upon which we do not pro- pose to dwell, preferring to talk more particu- larly of the old people and the exercises in which they were interested.

"On and immediately around the stand were many old men and women, to whom we are in- debted for much of the civilization that we now enjoy. Among the number, the Register reporter noticed Mesdames Daniel Barr, John Cassity, John Lock, David Crouch, Melvina Miller, Polly Bashaw, Jane Butler, Eliza Taft, Polly Tor- rance, Rachel Poffenbarger, Eliza Miller, Levi, - Cloyd, Julia Johnson, N. Harris, Le- vissa Richards, - -- Taylor (Taylorville), Rape. Messrs. Munsen Carter, D. G. Kalb, Andry Kalb, Rev. S. M. Smith, M. K. Anderson, G. Goodridge, John Lightfoot, Moses Laswell, R. W. Diller, Alexander B. Irwin, N. Harris, Noah Mason, Davis Meredith, Andrew Hollen- beck, I. A. Hawley, Samuel Grubb, George Poffenbarger, John T. Stuart, Preston Breekin- ridge, J. G. Ransom, E. Sanders, Charles Lamb, James Magredy, W. R. Ford, James Bell, B. A.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Sangamon 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 74

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company Number of Pages: 1084

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084